Programme Details

Station

Episodes

Gerry Northam asks whether it's time for the government to allow a controlled trade in human organs.

20030527

20030601

The government has invested heavily in the reform of cancer services and made it clear that broader reforms across the NHS may follow.

But how successful have the changes been?

20030603

20030608

With more depleted uranium used during the war in Iraq than in any previous conflict, Jenny Cuffe examines the latest scientific research on the dangers it poses, and asks why the Government is ignoring safety recommendations from its own advisors on the subject.

/ More depleted uranium was used in the recent Iraq war than in any previous conflict.

Jenny Cuffe investigates the latest research on the dangers posed by this volatile material.

20030610

20030615

20030615

The European sugar industry has long been kept sweet by a subsidy regime that costs consumers around £5 billion a year.

Now, with EU proposals to reform the subsidy system and health warnings from the World Health Organisation that we should consume less sugar, is the industry facing a bitter future? Fran Abrams reports.

20031125

20031130

Iraq and other conflicts have left Britain?s shrinking armed forces more overstretched than at any time in the last fifty years.

Julian O?Halloran reports.

20040217

20040222

The Government has promised a review of cases in which children have been removed by the state from their parents on controversial medical testimony in the courts.

But will it address the more fundamental failings of a family courts system in crisis? Allan Urry investigates.

20040323

20040328

As investors demand more social responsibility from Britain's biggest companies, Allan Urry investigates one of the nation's leading oil and gas multinationals.

20040518

20040525

20040525

20040530

In the first of a new series, Jenny Cuffe investigates the role played by private military contractors in Iraq.

As violence and lawlessness increase, business is booming for the security companies - but are there enough controls over the way they operate and the people they employ?

20040601

The government's health reforms promise local control of services through new Primary Care Trusts. But, with complaints that the Trusts only have real power as long as they do what Whitehall wants, just how democratic is New Labour's NHS? Gerry Northam investigates.

The government's health reforms promise local control of services through new Primary Care Trusts.

But, with complaints that the Trusts only have real power as long as they do what Whitehall wants, just how democratic is New Labour's NHS? Gerry Northam investigates.

20040608

20040613

With Britain's defence budget being further stretched by military involvement in Iraq, Julian O'Halloran examines the MOD's spending record. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

With Britain's defence budget being further stretched by military involvement in Iraq, Julian O'Halloran examines the MOD's spending record. [Rpt of Tues 8.00pm]

With Britain's defence budget being further stretched by military involvement in Iraq, Julian O'halloran examines the MOD's spending record.

20040727

20040801

The Bichard inquiry into the murder of the two Soham schoolgirls, revealed grave blunders by Humberside police. But, as Julian O'Halloran reports, it also found huge deficiencies in keeping police records nationwide, and the Home Office is now in a race against time to plug the gaps which could allow other child killers to strike.

The Bichard inquiry into the murder of the two Soham schoolgirls, revealed grave blunders by Humberside police.

But, as Julian O'halloran reports, it also found huge deficiencies in keeping police records nationwide, and the Home Office is now in a race against time to plug the gaps which could allow other child killers to strike.

20041019

20041024

The National Health Service is spending more than £6 billion on a computer system linking all hospitals and GP surgeries in England; the biggest public sector computer project in the world. But as it approaches its launch, Gerry Northam reveals serious unease among some doctors and other health service professionals.

The National Health Service is spending more than £6 billion on a computer system linking all hospitals and GP surgeries in England; the biggest public sector computer project in the world.

But as it approaches its launch, Gerry Northam reveals serious unease among some doctors and other health service professionals.

20041102

20041107

20041107

Sewers

Every year thousands of homes are flooded with evil-smelling sewage. Julian O'Halloran investigates growing concern over the crumbling state of Britain's sewerage system and the threat it poses public health.

Every year thousands of homes are flooded with evil-smelling sewage.

Julian O'halloran investigates growing concern over the crumbling state of Britain's sewerage system and the threat it poses public health.

20041109

20041114

Why are teenaged boys so vulnerable to abuse by men who pay for sex? Allan Urry investigates one of Britain's biggest paedophile rings to find out how a schoolboy was abducted from his parents and sold to abusers across the country.

Allan Urry investigates a notorious paedophile ring to find out how a schoolboy was abducted from his family and sold to abusers across the country. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

20041116

20041121

Jenny Cuffe reports on how the EU is considering new legislation which would require tests for thousands of chemicals which are routinely used by manufacturers. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

With the European Union considering new legislation which would require tests for thousands of chemicals which are routinely used by manufacturers, Jenny Cuffe assesses the latest scientific research, and asks how much we really know about the long term risks from some of the substances that are contained in almost everything we buy.

The first 17 have already opened, but will the millions of pounds being invested benefit the pupils most in need?

Gerry Northam reports.

20041207

20041212

Around two-thirds of British military deaths in Iraq were caused not by enemy action, but by 'friendly fire', faulty equipment, poor training and other organisational factors.

Now families of victims accuse the Ministry of Defence of covering up its own failings and shifting the blame onto front-line troops.

20050201

20050206

Gerry Northam investigates allegations that much of Iraq's oil wealth has been squandered by incompetence and corruption during the current occupation. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Gerry Northam investigates allegations that much of Iraq's oil wealth has been squandered by incompetence and corruption during the current occupation. [Rpt Sun 5.00pm]

Gerry Northam investigates allegations that much of Iraq's oil wealth has been squandered by incompetence and corruption during the current occupation.

20050208

20050213

Allan Urry investigates concerns about the huge backlog of repairs, maintenance and construction on Britain's roads. Is the state of our highways costing lives? [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Allan Urry investigates concerns about the huge backlog of repairs, maintenance and construction on Britain's roads.

Is the state of our highways costing lives?

20050215

20050220

Julian O'Halloran reports from the tiny kingdom of Lesotho, where the people have suffered years of malnutrition, sickness and drought, yet their plight has been largely ignored. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

While billions of pounds have been pledged for victims of the tsunami disaster, other areas of the world desperate for aid are facing a donations famine. In the tiny kingdom of Lesotho, as in much of Southern Africa, several years of drought, malnutrition and sickness, have been largely ignored by the outside world. As Julian O'Halloran reports, new international trade rules have deepened the crisis by putting thousands out of work.

While billions of pounds have been pledged for victims of the tsunami disaster, other areas of the world desperate for aid are facing a donations famine.

In the tiny kingdom of Lesotho, as in much of Southern Africa, several years of drought, malnutrition and sickness, have been largely ignored by the outside world.

As Julian O'halloran reports, new international trade rules have deepened the crisis by putting thousands out of work.

Julian O'halloran reports from the tiny kingdom of Lesotho, where the people have suffered years of malnutrition, sickness and drought, yet their plight has been largely ignored.

20050222

20050227

Alan Urry investigates concerns about the huge backlog of repairs, maintenance and construction on Britain's roads. Is the state of our highways costing lives? [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Alan Urry investigates concerns about the huge backlog of repairs, maintenance and construction on Britain's roads. Is the state of our highways costing lives? [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Alan Urry investigates concerns about the huge backlog of repairs, maintenance and construction on Britain's roads.

Is the state of our highways costing lives?

20050315

20050320

With the Provisional IRA accused of being behind one of the UK's biggest ever cash robberies of £26 million from the Northern Bank in Belfast, Allan Urry investigates the scale of serious and organised paramilitary crime north and south of the Irish border.

Alan Urry investigates the extent of serious and organised paramilitary crime north and south of the Irish border. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

20050322

20050327

With family doctors no longer having to be on call after hours, File on 4 investigates whether patients are being put at risk. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

With family doctors no longer having to be on call after hours, File on 4 investigates whether patients are being put at risk. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

With family doctors no longer having to be on call after hours, File on 4 investigates whether patients are being put at risk.

20050329

20050403

With family doctors no longer having to be 'on call' after hours, reporter Matthew Hill investigates whether patients are being put at risk. The programme uncovers evidence of long delays in responding to patients in urgent need of medical care.

With family doctors no longer having to be 'on call' after hours, reporter Matthew Hill investigates whether patients are being put at risk.

The programme uncovers evidence of long delays in responding to patients in urgent need of medical care.

20050607

20050612

Many food products have been withdrawn because of fears over carcinogenic additives. The sufferers have been the farmers of the spice fields of India. Jenny Cuffe investigates.

Many food products have been withdrawn because of fears over carcinogenic additives. The sufferers have been the farmers of the spice fields of India. Jenny Cuffe investigates. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Many food products have been withdrawn because of fears over carcinogenic additives.

With the government signalling that a new generation of nuclear reactors is now a real possibility, how near is Britain to finding a solution to the old problem of what to do with vast quantities of dangerous radioactive waste?

Julian O'Halloran reports on the disposal headaches and the radiation leaks which continue to dog the nuclear power industry.

20050621

20050626

How good is the Home Office at making immigration and asylum decisions? Amid widely-publicised claims that undeserving applicants have learned to play the system, Gerry Northam investigates complaints that many genuine cases are rejected, causing needless distress and wasting huge amounts of public money on appeals.

20050628

20050703

Children and teachers are being put at risk because of failures to pass on information about violent pupils and abusive parents. Fran Abrams investigates the lapses which have left school staff and children exposed to attack.

Children and teachers are being put at risk because of failures to pass on information about violent pupils and abusive parents.

Fran Abrams investigates the lapses which have left school staff and children exposed to attack.

20050705

20050710

Ten years ago, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs, on charges of genocide. File on 4 examines the failure of the international community to bring Karadzic to trial and the implications it has for the fragile peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Ten years ago, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs, on charges of genocide.

File on 4 examines the failure of the international community to bring Karadzic to trial and the implications it has for the fragile peace in Bosnia - Herzegovina.

20050712

20050717

How safe is it to blow the whistle on alleged wrong-doing in one of the country's most closed public services; the prison system? Jenny Cuffe investigates.

How safe is it to blow the whistle on alleged wrong-doing in one of the country's most closed public services - the prison system? Jenny Cuffe investigates claims that staff and inmates are being victimised for making complaints.

20050719

20050724

Hosepipe bans, dwindling river flows, and half full reservoirs - the signs of water shortage are growing across some of Britain's most populated areas. The last big drought nine years ago spelled out the need to cut water demand and conserve vital supplies if another crisis was to be averted - so what measures were taken and why haven't they worked?

Hosepipe bans, dwindling river flows, and half full reservoirs - the signs of water shortage are growing across some of Britain's most populated areas.

The last big drought nine years ago spelled out the need to cut water demand and conserve vital supplies if another crisis was to be averted - so what measures were taken and why haven't they worked?

20050726

20050731

Gerry Northam examines the new anti-fraud regime in Europe and asks if it is working. Six years after the European Commission promised zero tolerance of corruption, why do allegations of widespread fraud and financial mismanagement persist?

Gerry Northam examines the new anti-fraud regime in Europe and asks if it is working.

Six years after the European Commission promised zero tolerance of corruption, why do allegations of widespread fraud and financial mismanagement persist?

20050802

20050807

With an increasing number of hospitals battling with large scale debts, Liz Carney investigates whether policies designed to increase patient choice could create more financial instability and even lead to hospital closures.

20050809

20050814

Alan Whitehouse investigates the performance of Britain's bus companies and uncovers poor reliability, safety failings and a regulatory system that is struggling to cope. So what are we getting for the millions of pounds of public money funnelled into the bus industry each year?

Alan Whitehouse investigates the performance of Britain's bus companies and uncovers poor reliability, safety failings and a regulatory system that is struggling to cope.

So what are we getting for the millions of pounds of public money funnelled into the bus industry each year?

However, critics complain that the new law is a recipe for future miscarriages of justice.

Gerry Northam investigates.

Terrorist suspects are supposed to meet speedy justice under streamlined extradition procedures. However, critics complain that the new law is a recipe for future miscarriages of justice. Gerry Northam investigates.

20051018

20051023

Road hauliers continue to complain about the damaging effects of Britain's fuel prices, but it's only one of the many pressures facing an industry under stress.

There's also a critical shortage of capable lorry drivers at a time when demand is soaring. Is this why some become so tired that they fall asleep at the wheel, causing fatal accidents?

There's also a critical shortage of capable lorry drivers at a time when demand is soaring.

Is this why some become so tired that they fall asleep at the wheel, causing fatal accidents?

20051025

20051030

Richard Watson investigates the background to the London bombings and asks whether the authorities could have done more to counter the terrorist threat rooted in Britain. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Richard Watson investigates the background to the London bombings and asks whether the authorities could have done more to counter the terrorist threat rooted in Britain. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Richard Watson investigates the background to the London bombings and asks whether the authorities could have done more to counter the terrorist threat rooted in Britain.

20051101

20051106

Tony Blair stepped in personally to speed up compensation for those injured in the London bombings - but other victims of crime are complaining that they have to wait years for compensation, and that money they receive can be woefully inadequate to care for those with the most serious injuries.

File on 4 investigates the system for compensating those who suffer violent attacks.

With Julian O'Halloran.

20051108

20051113

The fight to end poverty highlighted by Live 8 was followed by more pictures of the starving in Niger. With concerns over more famines, Jenny Cuffe returns to Niger, and asks why the world always wakes up too late.

The fight to end poverty highlighted by Live 8 was followed by more pictures of the starving in Niger.

With concerns over more famines, Jenny Cuffe returns to Niger, and asks why the world always wakes up too late.

20051115

20051120

After the controversy over the breast cancer drug Herceptin, Gerry Northam examines the way in which Britain approves new drugs for use in the NHS. Is there needless bureaucracy? [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

After the controversy over the breast cancer drug Herceptin, Gerry Northam examines the way in which Britain approves new drugs for use in the NHS. Is there needless bureaucracy? [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

After the controversy over the breast cancer drug Herceptin, Gerry Northam examines the way in which Britain approves new drugs for use in the NHS.

Is there needless bureaucracy?

20051122

20051127

Brussels has 15,000 lobbyists whose job it is to try to influence European policy. But does a lack of regulation and transparency allow them and their corporate clients too much influence over the decisions that are made?

Sarah Spiller reports.

Brussels has 15,000 lobbyists whose job it is to try to influence European policy.

But does a lack of regulation and transparency allow them and their corporate clients too much influence over the decisions that are made?

20051129

20051204

Following the string of high profile cases in which it was shown that mothers had been wrongly convicted of killing their children, the courts were expected to take a more cautious approach to charges of abuse.

But how much has really changed? John Sweeney investigates two new cases in which families claim they've suffered a miscarriage of justice.

20051206

20051211

Floods, heatwaves and extreme weather all suggest that climate change could pose real risks for the future. But as the countries that back the Kyoto global warming treaty meet in Montreal, have Britain's own efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions run into the sand?

Floods, heatwaves and extreme weather all suggest that climate change could pose real risks for the future.

But as the countries that back the Kyoto global warming treaty meet in Montreal, have Britain's own efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions run into the sand?

20051213

20051218

Jenny Cuffe investigates claims of delays and falling public confidence in the way the police deal with 999 calls. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Jenny Cuffe investigates claims of delays and falling public confidence in the way the police deal with 999 calls. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Jenny Cuffe investigates claims of delays and falling public confidence in the way the police deal with 999 calls.

20060131

20060205

Public sector spending on private consultants is now costing billions of pounds, with everyone from Whitehall departments to hospital trusts hiring in external advisors.

But who decides if their advice is a good use of public money, and who assesses their effectiveness?

Allan Urry investigates.

20060207

20060212

The public is supposed to be protected from the most dangerous criminals when they are released from prison. But recent cases of brutal murder reveal serious flaws in the system for managing risk.

Gerry Northam reports.

The public is supposed to be protected from the most dangerous criminals when they are released from prison. But recent cases of brutal murder reveal serious flaws in the system for managing risk. Gerry Northam reports.

The public is supposed to be protected from the most dangerous criminals when they are released from prison.

But recent cases of brutal murder reveal serious flaws in the system for managing risk.

20060214

20060219

In the wake of the Buncefield blast, just how safe are British oil depots and other hazardous sites? Julian O'Halloran reveals that there have been a series of lucky escapes. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

In the wake of the Buncefield blast, just how safe are British oil depots and other hazardous sites? Julian O'Halloran reveals that there have been a series of lucky escapes. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

In the wake of the Buncefield blast, just how safe are British oil depots and other hazardous sites? Julian O'halloran reveals that there have been a series of lucky escapes.

20060221

20060226

Head teachers are now among Britain's most powerful public sector managers. Education reforms have left them in charge of budgets worth millions - and with little outside control. As ministers press ahead with measures designed to give schools even more financial freedom, Fran Abrams asks: 'When heads step over the line, who steps in?'

Head teachers are now among Britain's most powerful public sector managers.

Education reforms have left them in charge of budgets worth millions - and with little outside control.

As ministers press ahead with measures designed to give schools even more financial freedom, Fran Abrams asks: 'When heads step over the line, who steps in?'.

20060228

20060305

Kate Clark reports from southern Afghanistan where a vanguard of British troops arrives ahead of a larger deployment in the spring. How great are the risks in an area where suicide bomb attacks are on the increase and where the Taleban are said to be resurgent?

Kate Clark reports from southern Afghanistan where a vanguard of British troops arrives ahead of a larger deployment in the spring.

How great are the risks in an area where suicide bomb attacks are on the increase and where the Taleban are said to be resurgent?

20060307

20060312

With the number of reported rapes continuing to rise, BBC correspondent Danny Shaw asks why so few still end in a successful prosecution. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

With the number of reported rapes continuing to rise, BBC correspondent Danny Shaw asks why so few end in a successful prosecution. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

With the number of reported rapes continuing to rise, BBC correspondent Danny Shaw asks why so few still end in a successful prosecution.

With the number of reported rapes continuing to rise, BBC correspondent Danny Shaw asks why so few end in a successful prosecution.

20060314

20060319

In the fight against terrorism, how secure are Britain's ports and airports? Gerry Northam examines fears that dangerous people or substances can be too readily shipped in. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

In the fight against terrorism, how secure are Britain's ports and airports? Gerry Northam examines fears that dangerous people or substances can be too readily shipped in. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

In the fight against terrorism, how secure are Britain's ports and airports? Gerry Northam examines fears that dangerous people or substances can be too readily shipped in.

20060321

20060326

The Child Support Agency is the latest in an ever increasing line of public bodies to enlist the help of bailiffs to help collect monies owed to them in taxes, fines and maintenance payments.

Allan Urry investigates and asks who benefits when the bailiff calls.

20060328

20060402

As a new exodus of refugees from troubled Darfur threatens the stability of neighbouring Chad, reporter Liz Carney asks whether three years of international diplomacy has done anything to ease the plight of refugees or to halt the violence of marauding militias.

20060523

20060528

Iraqi security forces have been supplied with weapons in complex arms deals involving the US and UK. But in a country awash with as many as eight million small arms and a thriving black market, Allan Urry examines concerns that guns destined for soldiers and police are being diverted to insurgents, for use against British and American troops.

Iraqi security forces have been supplied with weapons in complex arms deals involving the US and UK.

But in a country awash with as many as eight million small arms and a thriving black market, Allan Urry examines concerns that guns destined for soldiers and police are being diverted to insurgents, for use against British and American troops.

20060530

20060604

As the NHS faces a massive cash crisis, the government insists its multi-billion pound computer project is to press ahead despite widespread opposition from doctors. Has Whitehall got the prescription wrong? Gerry Northam reports.

As the NHS faces a massive cash crisis, the government insists its multi-billion pound computer project is to press ahead despite widespread opposition from doctors.

The recent suicide of Alison Davies, and her disabled son Ryan - the mother and son who threw themselves from the Humber Bridge - has highlighted the desperation families face caring for some of Britain's most vulnerable children. Sarah Spiller investigates the new crisis in respite care.

The recent apparent suicide of Alison Davies, and the death of her disabled son Ryan - the mother and son who fell from the Humber Bridge - has highlighted the desperation families face caring for some of Britain's most vulnerable children. Sarah Spiller investigates the new crisis in respite care.

The recent apparent suicide of Alison Davies, and the death of her disabled son Ryan - the mother and son who fell from the Humber Bridge - has highlighted the desperation families face caring for some of Britain's most vulnerable children.

Sarah Spiller investigates the new crisis in respite care.

20060606

20060612

Zaiba Malik asks what safeguards exist to prevent convicted European rapists and murderers entering the UK to commit violent new crimes. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

20060613

20060618

With growing concern over foreign criminals being released rather than deported at the end of their prison sentences, Zaiba Malik asks what safeguards exist to prevent convicted European rapists and murderers entering the UK to commit violent new crimes.

20060618

20060620

20060625

Miriam O'reilly asks who should be accountable for the failure of the new rural payments scheme that has brought many English farmers to the brink of financial ruin.

20060627

20060702

Julian O'Halloran investigates the problems with the UK's water supply and asks if the regulatory bodies are doing enough to force the water companies to keep their promises. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Julian O'Halloran investigates the problems with the UK's water supply and asks if the regulatory bodies are doing enough to force the water companies to keep their promises.

20060704

20060709

As the US celebrates Independence Day, Jenny Cuffe investigates growing concern among American Muslims about measures being taken to combat home-grown terrorism.

[Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

As the US celebrates Independence Day, Jenny Cuffe investigates growing concern among American Muslims about measures being taken to combat home-grown terrorism. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

As the US celebrated Independence Day last week, Jenny Cuffe investigates growing concern among American Muslims about measures being taken to combat home-grown terrorism. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

20060711

20060716

As the police inquiry into loans and honours continues, Fran Abrams looks at the activities of some of the government's other business friends.

As the police inquiry into loans and honours continues, Fran Abrams looks at the activities of some of the government's other business friends. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

20060718

20060723

With the price of gold surging to new heights, British investors are pumping billions of pounds into new mining ventures around the globe. Angus Stickler investigates claims that multinational companies are stripping developing countries of their natural resources, wreaking environmental and social havoc in some of the poorest nations in the world.

With the price of gold surging to new heights, British investors are pumping billions of pounds into new mining ventures around the globe.

Angus Stickler investigates claims that multi-national companies are stripping developing countries of their natural resources, wreaking environmental and social havoc in some of the poorest nations in the world.

20060725

20060730

The government wants the interests of crime victims to be a central part of the justice system.

But how well are victims currently treated by prosecutors? With Gerry Northam

The government wants the interests of crime victims to be a central part of the justice system. But how well are victims currently treated by prosecutors? With Gerry Northam. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

The government wants the interests of crime victims to be a central part of the justice system. But how well are victims currently treated by prosecutors? With Gerry Northam. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

20060801

20060806

Julian O'Halloran investigates cases of teenagers in custody which point to a lack of care, and asks if some of these youngsters should be in prison at all. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Julian O'halloran investigates cases of teenagers in custody which point to a lack of care, and asks if some of these youngsters should be in prison at all.

Julian O'Halloran investigates cases of teenagers in custody which point to a lack of care, and asks if some of these youngsters should be in prison at all. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

20061003

20061008

A year after the devastating earthquake in Pakistan, Kate Clark investigates the consequences of allowing extremist Islamic groups and their humanitarian wings to play a major role in the relief and recovery operation.

20061010

20061015

As concern grows about heavy fighting in Afghanistan and mounting casualties in Iraq, Allan Urry investigates the system for Defence procurement and asks why British troops can't get some of the equipment they need to help keep them safe.

As former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra begins a new life in London, Fran Abrams asks why Britain remains the destination of choice for controversial foreign politicians.

As former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra begins a new life in London, Fran Abrams asks why Britain remains the destination of choice for many controversial foreign politicians.

20061107

20061112

As the political and military post mortems continue in Israel over the invasion of Lebanon, Paul Adams reports from Jerusalem on the aftermath of the conflict and its implications for the Middle East peace process.

20061114

20061119

Richard Watson investigates the extent of radicalisation among Britain's Muslim communities and asks if enough is being done to tackle the problem.

Richard Watson investigates the extent of radicalisation among Britain's Muslim communities and asks if enough is being done to tackle the problem. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

20061121

20061126

Gerry Northam investigates the use of bugging and surveillance in the fight against terrorism and major crime and asks whether evidence so obtained should be admissible in court. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Gerry Northam investigates the use of bugging and surveillance in the fight against terrorism and major crime and asks whether evidence so obtained should be admissible in court.

Gerry Northam investigates the use of bugging and surveillance in the fight against terrorism and organised crime and asks whether evidence obtained from such methods should be admissible in court.

20061128

20061203

With a new superbug more virulent than MRSA on the rise in Britain's hospitals, Allan Urry asks whether the government is doing enough to protect patients from infections.

With a new superbug more virulent than MRSA on the rise in Britain's hospitals, Allan Urry asks whether the government is doing enough to protect patients from infections. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

20061205

20061210

As cracks are revealed at the heart of nuclear reactors, dealing a massive blow to generator British Energy and posing major safety questions, Julian O'Halloran asks if Britain has become dangerously dependent on a fleet of ageing and decrepit nuclear power stations.

20070130

20070204

As Britain's top military brass say more should be done to support troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, the programme investigates the way in which the MoD treats soldiers who have been badly injured and the families of those killed in action.

20070206

20070211

Russia has denied any part in the death by radiation poisoning of ex-KGB man Alexander Litvinenko. And the Kremlin has spoken of a Cold War mentality in the West.

But Julian O'Halloran reports from St Petersburg and Moscow on a series of mystery deaths which raise further suspicions and questions over the role of the authorities.

So why is it closing the agency which seizes their assets? Gerry Northam investigates.

Major issues at home and abroad.

The government promised to hit major criminals where it hurts. So why is it closing the agency which seizes their assets? Gerry Northam investigates.

20070227

20070304

With attention focused again on the diamond trade, Fran Abrams reports from one of the world's most unstable countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo, on 'conflict copper' and the other less glamorous minerals that fuel violence.

20070306

20070311

Stephen Grey tells the inside story of Britain's dirty war against drugs.

Why did a controversial policy of using major dealers as informants do so little to stem the flow of drugs on to our streets?

Stephen Grey tells the inside story of Britain's dirty war against drugs. Why did a controversial policy of using major dealers as informants do so little to stem the flow of drugs on to our streets?

20070313

20070318

Major issues at home and abroad. With Jenny Cuffe.

20070320

20070325

Gerry Northam investigates reports that Britain's most vulnerable adults are not properly protected from abuse by the very people who are paid to care for them.

20070327

Teenage gun crime in Britain is a matter of increasing concern.

Ministers are promising action, but where are young gang members obtaining their firearms? Allan Urry investigates.

Teenage gun crime in Britain is a matter of increasing concern. Ministers are promising action, but where are young gang members obtaining their firearms? Allan Urry investigates.

20070529

20070603

Allan Urry investigates the effects of budget cuts on the Royal Navy as an enquiry about the recent capture of British sailors in the Persian Gulf gets under way.

20070605

20070610

Julian O'Halloran explores current attempts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and asks whether carbon trading and similar schemes can have any impact on climate change.

20070612

20070617

Gerry Northam reports on the Private Finance Initiative. A keystone of Gordon Brown's policy as Chancellor, the scheme is showing signs of strain. Have the billions spent on projects including schools and hospitals been used wisely?

There have been at least a dozen so-called honour killings during the last year, but it is claimed that official figures conceal a much more widespread problem.

Angus Stickler investigates honour-based violence in the UK, which frequently involves crimes against women in Muslim communities. There have been at least a dozen so-called honour killings during the last year, but it is claimed that official figures conceal a much more widespread problem.

20070703

20070708

International pressure is mounting over Iran's development of its nuclear programme.

Allan Urry asks whether the UK and Europe are doing enough to prevent the Iranians from acquiring sensitive military technology and equipment from western companies.

International pressure is mounting over Iran's development of its nuclear programme. Allan Urry asks whether the UK and Europe are doing enough to prevent the Iranians from acquiring sensitive military technology and equipment from western companies.

20070710

20070715

With Britain in the middle of a construction boom, Julian O'Halloran investigates claims of cartels and price-rigging, and assesses how much such practices could be adding to the final bills faced by UK plc.

20070717

20070722

Gerry Northam reports on how the allocation system for council housing works and asks if local people are losing out to economic migrants.

20070724

20070729

Ministers believe that investment, rather than aid, is the key to lifting developing countries out of poverty.

Ministers believe that investment, rather than aid, is the key to lifting developing countries out of poverty. But is this theory borne out by facts? Fran Abrams investigates.

20070731

20070805

The government is expected to issue the first tenders for the controversial ID card scheme this month.

Sarah Spiller asks whether the project will be a valuable weapon to combat fraud and terrorism or an expensive flop.

The government is expected to issue the first tenders for the controversial ID card scheme this month. Sarah Spiller asks whether the project will be a valuable weapon to combat fraud and terrorism or an expensive flop.

20070918

20070923

Allan Urry investigates cases of abuse in homes for elderly people in care and asks why it seems so difficult to monitor such cases and to obtain redress when they are discovered.

20070925

20070930

As American house prices are hit by a flood of defaults on home loans, Michael Robinson investigates growing concerns about unchecked borrowing and the potential danger for the UK housing market.

20071002

20071007

Kate Clark looks at conditions in Basra after the British handover.

20071009

20071014

New research suggests that occupational cancer deaths in the UK could be far higher than previously thought.

Tim Whewell asks if the Health and Safety Executive is doing enough to prevent work-related cancers.

New research suggests that occupational cancer deaths in the UK could be far higher than previously thought. Tim Whewell asks if the Health and Safety Executive is doing enough to prevent work-related cancers.

20071016

20071021

Billions of pounds are allocated for regeneration projects in the UK, but are the proper accounting procedures in place? The European Commission has recently stopped some payments.

Billions of pounds are allocated for regeneration projects in the UK, but are the proper accounting procedures in place? The European Commission has recently stopped some payments. Gerry Northam investigates.

20071023

20071028

Allan Urry investigates the growing impact of crack cocaine on society as its use spreads across the UK's towns and cities. He reports on the violent gangs who supply the drug, police efforts to tackle the organisations behind its distribution and the growing numbers of children taken in to care due to the reckless behaviour of parents.

Allan Urry investigates the growing impact of crack cocaine on society as its use spreads across the UK's towns and cities.

He reports on the violent gangs who supply the drug, police efforts to tackle the organisations behind its distribution and the growing numbers of children taken in to care due to the reckless behaviour of parents.

20071030

20071104

Julian O'Halloran reports on the tensions which have resurfaced in America's Deep South following a case of alleged racial injustice and white supremacist provocation. The resultant wave of protest has rekindled memories of the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s.

Julian O'halloran reports on the tensions which have resurfaced in America's Deep South following a case of alleged racial injustice and white supremacist provocation.

The resultant wave of protest has rekindled memories of the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s.

20071106

20071111

BBC Business Editor Robert Peston investigates the causes of the recent Northern Rock crisis.

20071120

20071125

Gerry Northam investigates reports that research into the development of new cancer treatments is being jeopardised by failure to take basic precautions in laboratories.

20080205

20080210

In the wake of the New Year chaos on Britain's railways, Julian O'Halloran looks at Network Rail's performance on track maintenance and its record on safety checks.

20080212

20080217

The major political parties' fundraising methods have all come under close scrutiny recently, but concerns are now being expressed over the finances of the British National Party.

The major political parties' fundraising methods have all come under close scrutiny recently, but concerns are now being expressed over the finances of the British National Party. Fran Abrams investigates.

20080219

20080224

Town halls are facing thousands of backdated equal pay claims from women workers.

But how are cash-strapped local authorities going to meet bills which could amount to almost three billion pounds? Jenny Cuffe reports.

Town halls are facing thousands of backdated equal pay claims from women workers. But how are cash-strapped local authorities going to meet bills which could amount to almost three billion pounds? Jenny Cuffe reports.

20080226

20080302

Armadeep Basset reports on the activities of UK-based Sikh groups in support of a violent campaign for an independent homeland in the Punjab.

20080304

20080309

As the goverrnment devolves more responsibilities to England's nine Regional Development Agencies, Allan Urry investigates their performance.

Critics claim they are unaccountable, out of touch and poor value for their budget.

As the goverrnment devolves more responsibilities to England's nine Regional Development Agencies, Allan Urry investigates their performance. Critics claim they are unaccountable, out of touch and poor value for their budget.

20080311

20080316

Julian O'Halloran reports on a new compensation scheme for wounded soldiers which began in 2005 but appears not to have met victims' expectations.

20080325

20080330

Angus Stickler investigates the market for platinum.

An essential component of the catalytic convertors which clean up car emissions, this metal is now twice the price of gold.

But as mining companies rush to exploit South Africa's reserves, traditional farmers are claiming that they are being forced off their ancestral lands.

Angus Stickler investigates the market for platinum. An essential component of the catalytic convertors which clean up car emissions, this metal is now twice the price of gold. But as mining companies rush to exploit South Africa's reserves, traditional farmers are claiming that they are being forced off their ancestral lands.

20080525

20080601

Allan Urry reports from Liverpool. The city is celebrating its status as European Capital of Culture, yet the City Council is the subject of scathing reports by government auditors.

20080603

20080608

Fran Abrams investigates the financial war against terrorism in the light of a recent High Court ruling that suspects' assets cannot be frozen.

20080608

Fran Abrams investigates the financial war against terrorism in the light of a recent High Court ruling that suspects' assets cannot be frozen.

20080615

20080622

Gerry Northam investigates claims that tens of thousands of elderly dementia sufferers are being given powerful drugs which are unnecessary and have potentially lethal side effects.

20080706

20080713

Allan Urry investigates the impact of the economic downturn on urban regeneration as the credit crunch and falling property values force some developers to abandon their plans, leaving local authority partners unable to develop key sites.

20080720

20080921

While Britain's hospitals struggle to contain the spread of MRSA, Jenny Cuffe reports on a new and potentially fatal strain of the bacteria which attacks children and young people in the community. Experts warn that the death toll will continue to rise unless the government takes decisive action.

20080928

20081021

20081026

As millions of families struggle to pay rocketing gas and electricity bills, Julian O'halloran investigates claims that our bills may be hundreds of pounds too high because of weak regulation, bad planning and the fact that the market is dominated by just six big companies.

20081026

As millions of families struggle to pay rocketing gas and electricity bills, Julian O'Halloran investigates claims that our bills may be hundreds of pounds too high because of weak regulation, bad planning and the fact that the market is dominated by just six big companies.

20081028

20081102

Tim Whewell reports from Georgia, reassessing the origins of the recent conflict with Russia.

He investigates who was responsible for the outbreak of hostilities and whether the fighting could have been avoided, and assesses its impact on leaders in Washington, Moscow and Tbilisi.

Tim Whewell reports from Georgia, reassessing the origins of the recent conflict with Russia. He investigates who was responsible for the outbreak of hostilities and whether the fighting could have been avoided, and assesses its impact on leaders in Washington, Moscow and Tbilisi.

20081102

Tim Whewell reports from Georgia, reassessing the origins of the recent conflict with Russia. He investigates who was responsible for the outbreak of hostilities and whether the fighting could have been avoided, and assesses its impact on leaders in Washington, Moscow and Tbilisi.

20081111

20081116

Simon Cox investigates how English football's finances have got into such a mess.

With Premier League clubs alone currently in three billion pounds-worth of debt, the game's governing bodies in England and Europe want action and the UK government has called for a review of financial regulation within the game.

Simon Cox investigates how English football's finances have got into such a mess. With Premier League clubs alone currently in three billion pounds-worth of debt, the game's governing bodies in England and Europe want action and the UK government has called for a review of financial regulation within the game.

20081116

Simon Cox investigates how English football's finances have got into such a mess. With Premier League clubs alone currently in three billion pounds-worth of debt, the game's governing bodies in England and Europe want action and the UK government has called for a review of financial regulation within the game.

20081118

20081123

Amardeep Bassey investigates fears that some of the funds that Britain is spending on projects to prevent violent extremism taking root in Muslim communities may be falling into the hands of the very groups it is trying to defeat.

20090127

20090201

Jon Manel finds out if the law is keeping pace with the increasing numbers of British couples who are having children using surrogate mothers, both in Britain and abroad.

20090217

20090222

Michael Robinson investigates the legacy of toxic lending by British banks and reveals why the threat it poses to UK jobs, homes and incomes is especially acute.

Michael Robinson investigates the legacy of toxic lending by British banks.

20090224

20090301

Grant Ferrett investigates whether the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by Britain and Europe are adequate to stop wealth being channelled out of the country by people close to the Mugabe government.

20090310

20090315

Simon Cox examines the record of the Royal Military Police in dealing with alleged crimes by British forces both during operations and in peacetime.

The record of the Royal Military Police in dealing with alleged crimes by UK forces.

20090602

20090607

Jenny Cuffe asks if the government policy of tightening immigration rules to help preserve jobs for British workers is being undermined by employers who are intent on bringing overseas workers as a way of driving down pay.

Jenny Cuffe asks if the policy of preserving jobs for British workers is being undermined.

20090929

20091004

Following criticism of the NHS over the system failures which allowed a man with schizophrenia to kill two people, Miriam O'reilly investigates claims of widespread problems in community mental health services which are allowing dangerous patients to commit violent offences or to harm themselves.

Miriam O'reilly investigates claims of major problems in community mental health services.

20091006

20091011

With a Parliamentary report expected to add to criticism of Whitehall's defence purchasing systems, Gerry Northam asks why it seems so hard to buy the right equipment for our forces.

Gerry Northam asks why it seems so hard to buy the right equipment for our forces.

20091013

20091018

Fears over deep cuts in council jobs and services have brought predictions of a winter of discontent and strife unlike anything seen for 30 years.

But as councils prepare to wield the axe, Julian O'Halloran asks if some authorities have added to their budget crises by awarding over-the-top pay, perks and severance terms to their own top executives.

Julian O'Halloran examines the levels of pay awarded by some councils to their executives.

20100202

20100207

The government has pledged 150 million pounds to combat the threat of improvised explosive devices, which are now the biggest danger to British and other coalition troops in Afghanistan.

But is the UK doing enough to tackle the increasing threat they pose? Allan Urry investigates.

What is being done to tackle the threat of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan.

20100209

20100214

While Britain's top bankers celebrate their bonuses, Michael Robinson investigates the commercial property market and the nasty surprises that it may hold for the banks and for the long-suffering British taxpayers who bailed them out.

For years Britain has been criticised for failing to investigate and punish companies who use bribery and corruption to win contracts overseas.

Just before the General Election, Parliament approved a new Bribery law.

And in recent months the Serious Fraud Office has adopted a new strategy, prosecuting a string of British-based firms and managers who have pleaded guilty to corrupt practices abroad.

It seemed that prosecutors were finally beginning to get results.

But now English judges are objecting to the American-style plea bargains which have encouraged guilty companies to confess to past illegality.

One senior judge has warned prosecutors they have no power to strike such deals, which tend to offer a more lenient sentence in return for an admission of guilt.

And in another case, an executive who cooperated with prosecutors has been sentenced to a year in prison for helping to bribe officials in the Greek health service to buy his company's medical equipment.

In the first of a new series of 'File on 4', Allan Urry investigates bribery by British firms abroad, and serious disarray in the court system which should be bringing them to justice.

File on 4: Lifting the lid on illegal London - welcome to a world of forged documents and faked identities.

It's believed there are likely to be more than 200,000 illegal migrant workers in the UK's capital city.

But how are they able to survive.

How do they get work? In this special investigation, Jon Manel obtains rare access into the lives of some of London's illegal workers - lives often based on lies and deception.

He discovers that some are now so much part of the system, they even pay tax and national insurance.

He hears of miserable and difficult times spent living in the shadows.

But other illegal workers say they are making a bigger contribution than many who were born here.

"I'm doing a job that most English persons wouldn't do.

I think I've never seen an English person cleaning a toilet".

And he goes to a well known part of London that owes its survival to the workers who shouldn't be here.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Jon Manel lifts the lid on illegal working in London.

File on 4: Lifting the lid on illegal London - welcome to a world of forged documents and faked identities. It's believed there are likely to be more than 200,000 illegal migrant workers in the UK's capital city. But how are they able to survive. How do they get work? In this special investigation, Jon Manel obtains rare access into the lives of some of London's illegal workers - lives often based on lies and deception. He discovers that some are now so much part of the system, they even pay tax and national insurance.

He hears of miserable and difficult times spent living in the shadows. But other illegal workers say they are making a bigger contribution than many who were born here. "I'm doing a job that most English persons wouldn't do. I think I've never seen an English person cleaning a toilet". And he goes to a well known part of London that owes its survival to the workers who shouldn't be here.

When the tanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989, the resulting oil spill became the worst in American history.

Fisheries were closed and the local economy was undermined.

Many said such a disaster should never again befall American coastal communities.

Tankers were obliged to be constructed with a protective second skin, and the law was changed to give polluters the clear responsibility to pay for oil spills.

But as thousands of barrels a day continue to pour into the Gulf of Mexico, a growing chorus of critics is asking why more preparations were not made for such a tragedy? Gerry Northam reports.

Producer Andy Denwood

Editor David Ross.

Could lessons from past disasters have prevented BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?

20100727

A special court system is supposed to protect the interests of the vulnerable and the elderly.

It's appointed thousands of 'deputies' - or guardians - to ensure their money is properly managed.

The system was reformed three years ago - but have the changes worked?

There have been allegations the system is slow, bureaucratic and open to abuse.

In some cases lawyers are appointed to oversee people's financial arrangements - and families claim they charge excessive fees.

In other cases, it's a relative who's appointed as a deputy - but are there adequate safeguards to ensure they're not misappropriating the money? Fran Abrams investigates cases where the system has left some vulnerable people worse off.

How well does the Court of Protection safeguard the finances of the old and vulnerable?

A special court system is supposed to protect the interests of the vulnerable and the elderly. It's appointed thousands of 'deputies' - or guardians - to ensure their money is properly managed. The system was reformed three years ago - but have the changes worked?

There have been allegations the system is slow, bureaucratic and open to abuse. In some cases lawyers are appointed to oversee people's financial arrangements - and families claim they charge excessive fees. In other cases, it's a relative who's appointed as a deputy - but are there adequate safeguards to ensure they're not misappropriating the money? Fran Abrams investigates cases where the system has left some vulnerable people worse off.

20101005

The planned withdrawal of British and other foreign troops from Afghanistan relies on the Afghan army and police to take over security duties.

Since 2002, the USA has spent $27bn - over half of its total reconstruction fund - training and equipping Afghan forces.

The aim is to build up an army of 171,600 people and a police force of 134,000 by October 2011.

The Afghan President Hamid Karzai wants national forces to be in complete control of the country by 2014.

But these targets, and the loyalty of some personnel, are called into question by recent killings carried out by members of the Afghan security forces:

*20 July 2010: two US weapons trainers were shot dead by an Afghan soldier

*13 July 2010: three British soldiers were attacked by an Afghan soldier who shot one dead in his bed and fired a rocket-propelled grenade which killed two others

*3 November 2009: three British soldiers and two members of the Royal Military Police were shot dead by an Afghan policeman.

An investigation published in June 2010 by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that officials had often overstated the readiness of Afghan forces, rating some units as first class when they were incapable of fighting the Taliban on their own.

It also reported high levels of desertion, corruption and drug abuse.

Gerry Northam asks if the transition to Afghan control is really on track.

Producer: David Lewis Editor: David Ross.

Can Afghan forces guarantee the country's security when British and other troops pull out?

Since 2002, the USA has spent $27bn - over half of its total reconstruction fund - training and equipping Afghan forces. The aim is to build up an army of 171,600 people and a police force of 134,000 by October 2011.

An investigation published in June 2010 by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that officials had often overstated the readiness of Afghan forces, rating some units as first class when they were incapable of fighting the Taliban on their own. It also reported high levels of desertion, corruption and drug abuse.

20101012

Do Insolvency Practitioners measure up to the high standards expected of them when they are called in to a stricken business? Allan Urry examines concerns that some IP's don't always act in the best interests of creditors who are owed money when companies fail.

Are landlords right to complain they've been getting a raw deal because some corporate undertakers side too much with their retail paymasters, who are pushing for reduced rents because their businesses are in trouble.

The Office of Fair Trading is calling for far reaching reforms amid concerns about high fees and low recovery rates for some creditors.

So is there proper oversight of a profession which takes a billion pounds in fees each year, but isn't subjected to much public scrutiny?

PRODUCER: Paul Grant.

Allan Urry investigates concerns about the role of insolvency practitioners.

Do Insolvency Practitioners measure up to the high standards expected of them when they are called in to a stricken business? Allan Urry examines concerns that some IP's don't always act in the best interests of creditors who are owed money when companies fail. Are landlords right to complain they've been getting a raw deal because some corporate undertakers side too much with their retail paymasters, who are pushing for reduced rents because their businesses are in trouble.

The Office of Fair Trading is calling for far reaching reforms amid concerns about high fees and low recovery rates for some creditors. So is there proper oversight of a profession which takes a billion pounds in fees each year, but isn't subjected to much public scrutiny?

20101102

Jenny Cuffe investigates how British-based Somalis are being lured into fighting for the al-Qaeda-linked Islamists of al-Shabaab.

There have been consistent rumours that dozens, perhaps scores of British-based Somali men have travelled to Somalia to join the militant Islamist group which was banned by the British Government earlier this year.

In September the rumours were given new urgency when the Director of MI5, Jonathan Evans, warned it was only a matter of time before the UK suffered an act of terrorism committed by al-Shabaab-trained Britons.

File on 4 explores the techniques used by Al-Shabaab to persuade young members of the 250,000-strong British Somali community to sign up for Jihad in Somalia.

Members of the close-knit and reticent British Somali community tell Jenny Cuffe of their fears that youngsters are being seduced through the internet and by shadowy recruiting sergeants for the Horn of Africa's most feared military force.

And the programme travels to the state of Minnesota to see how a vigorous FBI investigation and cooperation from the Somali community have laid-bare a pipeline which first lured, then transported young American Somalis to the training camps and battlefields of Somalia.

Producer: Andy Denwood.

How British Somalis are recruited to fight for the banned Islamist group, al-Shabaab.

File on 4 explores the techniques used by Al-Shabaab to persuade young members of the 250,000-strong British Somali community to sign up for Jihad in Somalia. Members of the close-knit and reticent British Somali community tell Jenny Cuffe of their fears that youngsters are being seduced through the internet and by shadowy recruiting sergeants for the Horn of Africa's most feared military force.

20110607

Is Iran exploiting the turmoil caused by the Arab Spring, and the uncertainly following the killing of Osama Bin Laden? After Iranian military rockets were found on the battlefields of Afghanistan, Allan Urry assesses new evidence alleging Iran's closer ties with al Qaeda and the Taliban.

And, with more illicit shipments of weapons from Iran being seized in the Middle East, in breach of a UN arms embargo, the programme also reports on the discovery of a weapons smuggling ring set up in the heart of Europe to service Tehran.

It also investigates the involvement of a former British Royal Marine in the ring.

Producer Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Allan Urry investigates claims that Iran has been stepping up its support for terrorism.

Is Iran exploiting the turmoil caused by the Arab Spring, and the uncertainly following the killing of Osama Bin Laden? After Iranian military rockets were found on the battlefields of Afghanistan, Allan Urry assesses new evidence alleging Iran's closer ties with al Qaeda and the Taliban. And, with more illicit shipments of weapons from Iran being seized in the Middle East, in breach of a UN arms embargo, the programme also reports on the discovery of a weapons smuggling ring set up in the heart of Europe to service Tehran. It also investigates the involvement of a former British Royal Marine in the ring.

20110628

Over the last month Britain's biggest provider of care homes for the elderly, Southern Cross, has been beset by financial woes.

But across the country an even deeper crisis is unfolding as local authorities implement massive budget cuts.

This week File on 4 investigates how cutbacks are leaving elderly people with insufficient care, and councils with a major financial headache.

The programme also hears from small care home providers who say they are being forced out of business because the fees local authorities now pay them are too low.

And with the report from a Government commission due in a few days, the programme asks whether the gap in funding for the care of elderly people can be closed..

Reporter: Fran Abrams

Producer: Gail Champion.

Why the UK's elderly care sector is facing a financial crisis.

Over the last month Britain's biggest provider of care homes for the elderly, Southern Cross, has been beset by financial woes. But across the country an even deeper crisis is unfolding as local authorities implement massive budget cuts.

20110705

In the wake of the financial disaster, policy makers and regulators around the world pledged to make banking safer and more transparent.

But the reality, many experts claim, is proving very different.

For this edition of File on 4, Michael Robinson investigates some of the apparently straightforward financial products banks now offer and uncovers disturbing complexity.

One product, called Exchange Traded Funds, appears to offer private individuals and pension funds a cheap and simple way to invest - in anything from the top 100 companies on the British stock exchange, to obscure companies in emerging economies or even to baskets of commodities.

Beneath this apparent simplicity, the programme discovers that many EFTs hide a forest of financial engineering designed to increase the profits of the banks which provide them.

But at what risk?

Another product, so-called "Naked Credit Default Swaps" may have an obscure name but they were at the heart of the financial crisis and are still one of the most widespread instruments used by banks.

They are now accused by some of exacerbating Europe's sovereign debt problems.

A leading British financial academic likens them to taking out insurance on someone else's life.

There is then an obvious incentive, he tells the programme, to push the person who's life you have insured under a bus.

On both sides of the Atlantic, regulators hoped to reduce the risks of this massive market.

Do the complex financial products banks still offer threaten another meltdown?

In the wake of the financial disaster, policy makers and regulators around the world pledged to make banking safer and more transparent. But the reality, many experts claim, is proving very different.

Beneath this apparent simplicity, the programme discovers that many EFTs hide a forest of financial engineering designed to increase the profits of the banks which provide them. But at what risk?

Another product, so-called "Naked Credit Default Swaps" may have an obscure name but they were at the heart of the financial crisis and are still one of the most widespread instruments used by banks. They are now accused by some of exacerbating Europe's sovereign debt problems.

A leading British financial academic likens them to taking out insurance on someone else's life. There is then an obvious incentive, he tells the programme, to push the person who's life you have insured under a bus.

On both sides of the Atlantic, regulators hoped to reduce the risks of this massive market. But, as the programme discovers, there's widespread doubt among financial professionals that they've succeeded.

20110712

The Border Agency is charged with preventing drugs, weapons and would-be illegal immigrants from getting to the UK.

But three years after being created, the Agency has been accused by MPs of failing to enforce immigration rules.

Faced with cuts to its budget and the loss of around one-fifth of its staff over the next four years, the Agency is looking to new technology to improve its effectiveness.

But with delays to the e-borders project and problems with existing computer systems, Morland Sanders investigates whether the strategy will work.

Facing massive job cuts, will the Border Agency be able to protect the UK's frontiers?

The Border Agency is charged with preventing drugs, weapons and would-be illegal immigrants from getting to the UK. But three years after being created, the Agency has been accused by MPs of failing to enforce immigration rules. Faced with cuts to its budget and the loss of around one-fifth of its staff over the next four years, the Agency is looking to new technology to improve its effectiveness. But with delays to the e-borders project and problems with existing computer systems, Morland Sanders investigates whether the strategy will work.

20110719

Why are ambulances queuing up to unload patients needing treatment at hospital Accident and Emergency Departments? Some senior A and E medics say there are too few beds and not enough staff in a front line service struggling to cope.

Cash strapped NHS Trusts are closing casualty units, or replacing them with lower grade Urgent Care Centres but what's been the impact on patients? Allan Urry asks whether A and E is on life support, at a time when the NHS is trying to make £20 billions savings without compromising patient care.

Presenter: Allan Urry

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

Allan Urry examines claims of a crisis in hospital accident and emergency services.

Why are ambulances queuing up to unload patients needing treatment at hospital Accident and Emergency Departments? Some senior A and E medics say there are too few beds and not enough staff in a front line service struggling to cope. Cash strapped NHS Trusts are closing casualty units, or replacing them with lower grade Urgent Care Centres but what's been the impact on patients? Allan Urry asks whether A and E is on life support, at a time when the NHS is trying to make £20 billions savings without compromising patient care.

20110927

The Department of Health wants to slash £1.2 billion off the bill for hospital supplies -- everything from bandages and rubber gloves to operating tables and medical equipment.

The planned savings form part of the £20 billion in NHS efficiency savings the Government has pledged to make by 2014.

There's plenty of scope for savings.

A recent survey found one Hospital Trust bought 177 different types of surgical gloves.

Across the NHS, hospitals buy more than 1,700 different kinds of canula.

Rationalising this medical shopping list could free-up £500 million a year for investment in patient care, the National Audit Office estimates.

But can the increasingly complex NHS procurement system in England deliver the major savings the Government wants to see?

Critics say Foundation Hospital Trusts increasingly make their own buying decisions, with little or no national co-ordination.

Inside hospitals, managers tasked with purchasing millions of pounds worth of equipment often lack the authority or the support of their superiors to drive through savings.

Meanwhile new private sector companies are moving in to take over the purchase and supply of NHS equipment.

Will the Government's plans for a more devolved health service help or hinder the drive to save taxpayers' money.

Jenny Cuffe investigates.

Producer: Andy Denwood.

Does the NHS spend too much on bandages and syringes? Jenny Cuffe investigates.

There's plenty of scope for savings. A recent survey found one Hospital Trust bought 177 different types of surgical gloves. Across the NHS, hospitals buy more than 1,700 different kinds of canula. Rationalising this medical shopping list could free-up £500 million a year for investment in patient care, the National Audit Office estimates.

Critics say Foundation Hospital Trusts increasingly make their own buying decisions, with little or no national co-ordination. Inside hospitals, managers tasked with purchasing millions of pounds worth of equipment often lack the authority or the support of their superiors to drive through savings. Meanwhile new private sector companies are moving in to take over the purchase and supply of NHS equipment.

Will the Government's plans for a more devolved health service help or hinder the drive to save taxpayers' money. Jenny Cuffe investigates.

20111004

Household gas and electricity bills are set to soar, leaving millions at risk of 'fuel poverty' and vulnerable to cold as winter approaches.

The government's hopes for recovery in UK manufacturing industry are also threatened in key sectors by rocketing energy prices.

Some small and medium-sized businesses have already been pushed into liquidation and there are fears that others will follow.

Politically, attention is now focusing on the behaviour of the so-called Big Six energy companies which supply 99% of the gas and electricity used in British homes.

The regulator OFGEM accuses them of 'complex and unfair pricing policies'.

It wants to increase competition by making it simpler for customers to decide to switch suppliers.

It finds that prices go up like a rocket but fall like a feather.

And it wants greater disclosure of corporate accounting systems, to check for excessive profits.

Gerry Northam examines claims from some industry insiders that the Big Six are behaving as the banks did before the credit crunch - threatening economic recovery while believing they are too big to fail.

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

Are households and businesses being overcharged for gas and electricity?

The government's hopes for recovery in UK manufacturing industry are also threatened in key sectors by rocketing energy prices. Some small and medium-sized businesses have already been pushed into liquidation and there are fears that others will follow.

The regulator OFGEM accuses them of 'complex and unfair pricing policies'. It wants to increase competition by making it simpler for customers to decide to switch suppliers. It finds that prices go up like a rocket but fall like a feather. And it wants greater disclosure of corporate accounting systems, to check for excessive profits.

20111011

With the Government's controversial reforms under fire from countryside campaigners, Allan Urry investigates radical changes to the planning system.

Ministers insist more housing is needed, fuelling fears of greenfield sites being bulldozed.

But as they begin to slim down bureaucracy to speed up development, how many more homes are actually getting built?

Under the localism agenda, communities are being told they'll get much more say about who builds what in their neighbourhood.

But what happens if it's a waste incinerator or a power station? The programme reveals how local objections are likely to been given much less consideration.

Ministers insist more housing is needed, fuelling fears of greenfield sites being bulldozed. But as they begin to slim down bureaucracy to speed up development, how many more homes are actually getting built?

Under the localism agenda, communities are being told they'll get much more say about who builds what in their neighbourhood. But what happens if it's a waste incinerator or a power station? The programme reveals how local objections are likely to been given much less consideration.

Ofsted has a new, hard-line chief inspector and a new, tougher inspection regime - and in the past few months that has led to a spike in the number of schools deemed inadequate.

Predictably, there has been a corresponding wave of anger in schools - with a growing number taking to the courts to challenge the inspectors' views?

So are the inspectors really up to the job? And who inspects the inspectors?

Fran Abrams investigates.

Producer: Rob Cave.

20120807

20120812

World health chiefs have branded diesel exhaust emissions a major cause of cancer. Despite the efforts of car-makers to filter out the most noxious substances, these fumes still play a big part in causing air pollution.

Britain has the second worst respiratory death rates in Europe and has long been under notice from Brussels to clean up its act. So why are most UK areas in breach of legal limits?

And do ministers have any clear plan to reduce the huge annual total of resulting deaths?

Julian O'Halloran investigates.

Producer : Rob Cave.

Is enough being done to combat diesel pollution which is blamed for thousands of deaths?

20141014

20141019 (R4)

What lies behind plans to outsource NHS cancer care in parts of the Midlands?

In the biggest outsourcing to date, the NHS in England has announced it is tendering a huge £700 million contract for providing NHS cancer care in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, along with another £500million for end of life care in the region. Officials say it will streamline services and provide better treatment while critics say it's the most reckless privatisation yet. BBC Health Editor Hugh Pym investigates..

Producer: Paul Grant.

20150303

Secure children's homes look after some of the country's most vulnerable youngsters. Largely run by local authorities, they provide safe accommodation for children placed on custody grounds or for welfare reasons because they present a danger to themselves or others. The demand for places is rising but the number of beds is falling. So where does that leave those they are meant to cater for? With the government currently conducting a review into the system, File on 4 gets rare access to one home in the Midlands to meet children and staff; and talks to those struggling to find places for children across the UK.

Complaints against the police are running at a record high. The vast majority, nine out of ten, are rejected from the start. But when complainants appeal to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, one in 2 cases is overturned. Others - disgruntled with the way they've been treated by the police - sue the force. File on 4 hears from people who've been battling for years to pursue a complaint and who claim the process is unfairly weighted in favour of the police.

In the Queen's Speech the Government confirmed its plans to overhaul the complaints system in order to restore public confidence. As part of the reform, Police and Crime Commissioners could be able to decide if they want to handle allegations against their local forces. The Commissioners themselves are divided on whether they want this additional role and critics say they would not have the resources to do it effectively.

So just what recourse do you have when you feel you've been dealt with unfairly by the police? And will the Home Office proposals make any difference? Claire Savage investigates.

Presenter: Claire Savage Producer: David Lewis.

20150915

20150920 (R4)

Under fire over controversial decisions, is the Crown Prosecution Service up to the job?

Controversial charging decisions in the cases of Lord Janner, Operation Elveden and a doctor accused of female genital mutilation have brought a hostile reaction in the media to the Director of Public Prosecutions and increasing concern about the health of her organisation - the Crown Prosecution Service.

Over the past five years the CPS has seen budget cuts of over 25% resulting in job losses and internal reforms. Despite this, the organisation maintains that it continues to improve performance - measured by conviction rates in both magistrates' and Crown Courts.

However, there are increasing concerns about staff morale, the quality of decision-making and the standard of advocacy in court. BBC Home Affairs Correspondent, Danny Shaw has been hearing frank testimony from both inside and outside the CPS which presents a revealing picture of the justice system in England and Wales.

Presenter: Danny Shaw Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

20151020

20151025 (R4)

Like other steel communities, Rotherham faces the loss of hundreds of jobs. It is the latest blow to a town now synonymous with widespread sexual abuse. So can Rotherham recover?

Like other steel communities, Rotherham faces the loss of hundreds of jobs following the recent announcement of redundancies at the local plant. It's the latest blow to a town now synonymous with widespread child grooming. Last year the Jay Report estimated that 1400 young people had been sexually abused there. It said most of the victims were white and most of the perpetrators were Asian men. So what's been the impact on community relations and how far has the scandal affected the local economy? For File on 4, Manveen Rana returns to the town to talk to families, business owners and the authorities to find out whether Rotherham can recover.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

A lasting legacy? Have the sexual abuse revelations blighted Rotherham in the longer-term?

20151103

20151108 (R4)

How safe are we in the hands of the growing number of agency staff at NHS hospitals?

How safe are we in the hands of locum staff at NHS hospitals? The Government's crackdown on big fees charged by agencies that hire them out has been making headlines, but what's being done to ensure they are up to the job?

Allan Urry investigates recent cases which raise questions about the quality of care delivered by some temporary staff. Should an agency doctor have better assessed a poorly surgical patient on his ward who died a short time later from a post -operative bleed? The programme also asks how well the agency sector is regulated following the revelation that a partly-qualified doctor was able to treat more than 3000 patients after lying about his qualifications.

Reporter: Allan Urry Producer: David Lewis.

20160112

20160117 (R4)

In the first of a new series, Allan Urry investigates claims by former officers from one of Britain's biggest police forces that they've been the victims of crimes committed by their own colleagues. He hears claims of dirty tricks by a secretive police unit within Greater Manchester Police which some officers say have led to criminal charges against them. Others say they've been unfairly targeted through the internal disciplinary process, with evidence distorted and statements changed.

Are they bad cops with an axe to grind or victims of corrupt practices and institutional cover up?

Producers: Sally Chesworth and Neil Morrow.

20160510

20160515 (R4)

The Serious Fraud Office has begun an investigation into allegations of corruption in the award of multi-million pound oil contracts in the Middle East. Oil consulting firm Unaoil, based in Monaco, denies that it helped British and other companies win contracts by corrupting politicians and government officials.

The investigation follows a leak of thousands of emails and other documents. Jane Deith has been given access to the leaked papers and reveals what they tell us about the business of oil.

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Paul Grant.

The Serious Fraud Office has begun an investigation into allegations of corruption in the award of multi-million pound oil contracts in the Middle East. A Monaco based company, Unaoil, denies that it helped British and other companies win contracts by corrupting politicians and government officials.

20170926

Current affairs documentary series.

Adoption can transform lives. Today, most children available for adoption have had a difficult start. Removed from birth parents and taken into care, many have experienced abuse and neglect which can leave them with complex mental health and/or developmental needs. Adoption can provide them with stable and loving homes.

But what happens when the challenges the adoptive family faces become overwhelming? And is there enough support available to the families who give a home to some of the most vulnerable children in society?

File on 4 hears from adoptive parents struggling to cope with their children's complex problems - and battling with the authorities to get the help they desperately need.

The charity Adoption UK thinks as many as a quarter of all adoptive families are in crisis and in need of professional help to keep their family together. But are adoptive parents given enough information about the challenges they are likely to face and when they do encounter problems, is there enough help available?

Two years ago, the government set up a special fund designed to help adoptive families in England access a range of post-adoption therapeutic services. To date, more than £52 million has been spent via the Adoption Support Fund. But where is the money going and are the treatments on offer proven to be effective?

The truth is that no one really knows how many adoptions are 'disrupted' or end up in full break down when the child is permanently returned to care. But when they do, it is devastating for everyone involved. We speak to families fighting to get the help they need to stay together.

Reporter: Alys HarteProducer: Jane Drinkwater.

*

20080129

20080203

As investigations continue into the cause of the blaze at the Royal Marsden, Allan Urry asks whether fire safety standards in Britain's hospitals are good enough.

*

20080318

20080323

Danny Shaw looks at government proposals to deal with prison overcrowding and asks whether bigger jails will solve the problem.

He reports from Europe's largest prison at Fleury Merogis, near Paris.

Danny Shaw looks at government proposals to deal with prison overcrowding and asks whether bigger jails will solve the problem. He reports from Europe's largest prison at Fleury Merogis, near Paris.

*

20080520

20080525

Major issues at home and abroad.

*

20080617

20080622

Gerry Northam investigates claims that tens of thousands of elderly dementia sufferers are being given powerful psychiatric drugs which are not only unnecessary but also have potentially lethal side effects.

*

20080624

Kate Clark investigates efforts to stem the opium trade in Afghanistan, which is said to bankroll the Taliban.

*

20080629

Kate Clark investigates efforts to stem the opium trade in Afghanistan, which is said to bankroll the Taliban.

*

20080701

20080706

Lesley Curwen investigates growing concerns that many blood transfusions are unnecessary and could do more harm than good to patients.

*

20080708

*

20080916

20080921

While Britain's hospitals struggle to contain the spread of MRSA, Jenny Cuffe reports on a new and potentially fatal strain of the bacteria which attacks children and young people in the community.

Experts warn that the death toll will continue to rise unless the government takes decisive action.

*

20090120

20090125

Julian O'halloran examines Britain's insolvency laws and asks whether weaknesses in regulation and enforcement are being exploited by some company directors to unfairly dispose of debts.

Allan Urry investigates how criminal syndicates have been able to target GPs, hospitals and chemists with cheap counterfeit drugs.

With the NHS under pressure to cut its 11 billion-pound annual spending on medicines, has the hunt for cheaper alternatives opened the door to these dangerous fakes?

*

20090303

20090308

Julian O'halloran investigates claims that overreaction by schools to minor incidents or unproven allegations is ruining the careers of hundreds of innocent teachers.

As efforts to protect children from abuse or cruelty are intensified, Julian asks if some safety measures have gone too far?

Julian O'halloran asks if school safety measures to protect children have gone too far?

*

20090526

20090531

Allan Urry investigates more claims of bad behaviour on the part of bankers, and follows the David and Goliath struggle of a group of small business owners who are battling to force one of the high street giants to take responsibility for the decisions that they claim left them in ruins.

Allan Urry investigates more claims of bad behaviour on the part of bankers.

*

20090623

20090628

The government's flagship policy for public investment, the Private Finance Initiative, has always relied on big loans from banks.

But now, as lenders demand far more for their money, Michael Robinson investigates disturbing increases in the cost of building our schools, hospitals and roads.

In today's economic climate, does PFI represent value for money for hard-pressed taxpayers?

*

20090630

20090705

With payouts in clinical negligence cases expected to reach a record 700 million pounds in 2010, Miriam O'reilly investigates no-win, no-fee lawyers.

Some of them are allowed to charge up to 800 pounds per hour in bringing claims against the NHS, enabling many law firms to earn substantially more in fees than their clients receive in damages.

Miriam O'reilly investigates the no-win, no-fee lawyers who bring claims against the NHS.

*

20090707

20090712

Following a series of blunders by the justice authorities, who left a dangerous criminal free to torture and murder two French students in London, Allan Urry asks whether government ministers can still justify their claim that Britain's system of public protection from violent offenders and sex abusers is among the best in the world.

Is Britain's system of public protection from violent offenders still among the best?

*

20090714

20090719

With an inquiry underway into the mid-air explosion in 2006 aboard a Nimrod aircraft, which killed 14 service personnel, Angus Stickler examines the safety record of the RAF in recent conflicts.

Angus Stickler examines the safety record of the RAF in recent conflicts.

*

20090728

20090802

As evidence continues to emerge about the CIA's secret detention and interrogation programme, calls grow on this side of the Atlantic for an inquiry into claims that Britain colluded in the torture of suspects.

Stephen Grey investigates the relationship between the US and the UK security services in the hidden War on Terror.

*

20090922

20090927

As the government's strategy for combating extremism is revised to focus on white racist groups as well as Islamic radicals, Allan Urry assesses the threat of attacks by right-wing extremists and fears that they could lead to a rise in racial tensions.

*

20091103

20091108

The head of the Financial Services Authority, Lord Turner, has questioned the social usefulness of what banks do.

But as he and other regulators wrestle with ways of controlling so-called 'casino operations', Michael Robinson lifts the lid on the latest tricks of the trade which some banks are now using to increase profits.

Michael Robinson examines the latest tricks which some banks are using to increase profits

*

20091117

20091122

With record gold prices stimulating demand, Jenny Cuffe reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo on the scale of illegal mining and asks if the industry does enough to ensure that gold supplies aren't being used to fund conflict.

Jenny Cuffe reports from DR Congo on the scale of illegal gold mining.

*

20091124

20091129

With around 8,000 people waiting for an organ transplant in the UK, hospitals are having to use organs from the elderly, smokers, cancer sufferers and drug abusers.

Gerry Northam examines the dilemmas posed for doctors and assesses the risks to transplant patients.

*

20091201

20091206

US troops have handed control for security in Iraq back to the Iraqi government, which was supposed to be the first sign that normality was returning to the streets.

So why are thousands of Iraqi refugees still refusing to return home? Kate Clark invesigates.

After two big scandals in a year over dire standards in hospitals which put patients at serious risk, Julian O'halloran asks how many people are still being killed by avoidable medical blunders, and how far the NHS has progressed since it began to address the problem ten years ago.

Julian O'halloran asks how many people are being killed by avoidable hospital blunders.

*

20100309

20100314

Five years ago the government promised to provide a safety net for when pension funds went bust, but this new scheme is already more than a billion pounds in deficit.

Fran Abrams investigates allegations that some companies are simply dumping their obligations and leaving the Pensions Protection Fund - and in some cases the taxpayer - to pick up the bill.

Investigating allegations that some companies are failing their pension fund obligations.

*

20100323

20100328

The government is promising extra help for people out of work during the recession.

But, as Britain braces itself for a rise in unemployment, Allan Urry reports from the communities already hardest hit and asks what redundant steelmakers, public sector workers and others joining the dole queue can really expect at the Jobcentre.

Allan Urry reports from the communities already hardest hit by the rise in unemployment.

* *

20080122

20080127

Five years after Lord Laming's inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, children are still dying at the hands of their parents or carers.

The Laming Report called for a major reform of the way child abuse cases are handled, but how much has changed?

Five years after Lord Laming's inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, children are still dying at the hands of their parents or carers. The Laming Report called for a major reform of the way child abuse cases are handled, but how much has changed?

* *

20080527

20080601

Allan Urry reports from Liverpool.

The city is celebrating its status as European Capital of Culture and its regeneration programme is one of Europe's biggest.

The area should be booming, yet Liverpool City Council is faced with mounting debts and is the subject of scathing reports by government auditors.

Allan Urry reports from Liverpool. The city is celebrating its status as European Capital of Culture and its regeneration programme is one of Europe's biggest. The area should be booming, yet Liverpool City Council is faced with mounting debts and is the subject of scathing reports by government auditors.

* *

20080715

20080720

Gerry Northam investigates the Colonial Development Corporation, established in 1948 to promote industry and agriculture in the poorest parts of the British Empire.

Rumours of impending privatisation of the agency are circulating, and its critics claim that it is increasingly concerned with making profits rather than relieving poverty.

Gerry Northam investigates the Colonial Development Corporation, established in 1948 to promote industry and agriculture in the poorest parts of the British Empire. Rumours of impending privatisation of the agency are circulating, and its critics claim that it is increasingly concerned with making profits rather than relieving poverty.

* *

20080923

20080928

Allan Urry examines the case for linking animal cruelty with child abuse, amid concerns expressed by organisations such as the RSPCA and the NSPCC that offenders may be more likely to commit both crimes.

* *

20090210

20090215

Lucy Ash investigates the behind-the-scenes role played by Egypt and its President Hosni Mubarak in the latest crisis in Gaza.

Mubarak may have placed himself at the centre of attempts to end the conflict, but how will he weather the mounting criticism levelled at him both at home and abroad?

The role played by Egypt and its President Hosni Mubarak in the Gaza crisis.

* *

20090317

20090322

As local authorities struggle to balance the books because of the economic downturn, Allan Urry reports on a crisis in town hall finances.

At a time when councils say that they are being forced to lay off thousands of staff, Allan asks why they have been investing a billion pounds of taxpayers' cash in banks which have crashed, with no sign of recovering the money.

* *

20090331

20090405

Shari Vahl investigates the extent to which inadequate safeguards to property rights in Britain might be contributing to the theft of millions of pounds, as criminals 'steal' houses from under the noses of homeowners by exploiting the way Land Registry information is made available.

* *

20090609

20090614

Julian O'halloran investigates claims that industrial-scale pig farms in America played a key role in exposing us to the swine flu virus.

Local people near the first known case in Mexico questioned the role of an American-owned industrial scale pig farm not far away.

Any link was strenuously denied, however, and the US pork industry soon helped persuade medical authorities to drop the term 'swine flu'.

But for years American virologists have been studying the links between new and potentially risky flu viruses and farm animals.

Whatever the role of pig farms in Mexico, experts say that parts of the current flu virus can be traced back to outbreaks of swine flu, then affecting only pigs, in several American states in 1998.

As Julian reports from the USA, the move to highly intensive pig farming methods by some companies has long been denounced by green groups and the animal welfare lobby, who allege massive damage to the environment, intolerable smells, and health risks to farm workers and their families.

Now they are asking if factory farming conditions could have increased the dangers of a global flu pandemic.

As ministers decide whether a 12-billion-pound NHS computer project in England offers value for money, Gerry Northam asks if some major IT projects could be scrapped by a new government looking for big spending cuts.

Gerry Northam asks if some major IT projects could be scrapped by a new government.

* *

20100316

20100321

Around a third of all youngsters who have been abused are victims of other children and young people.

Jackie Long investigates what is done to help young abusers stop offending and asks why so many are slipping through the net.

Jackie Long finds out what is being done to help young abusers stop offending.

* * *

20091208

20091213

The government's forensic science service is crucial to taclking crime, but is shedding hundreds of jobs and closing half its laboratory facilities in a drive to make the organisation more commercial.

Fran Abrams investigates whether or not the aggressive cost-cutting in beginning to hit the way the service operates and consequently undermine justice.

01/06/2010

20100606

The UK has some of the highest rates of stillbirths and early neonatal deaths in Europe.

There have been calls for improved care in hospital labour wards and an increase in research efforts to discover why so many apparently perfectly normal babies die.

However there is growing concern that in some hospitals, these deaths are not being properly investigated.

Parents report difficulties in finding out full details of what went wrong.

Shortages of specialist pathologists have meant that crucial post-mortem examinations are never carried out.

And the inquest system is patchy when it comes to discovering the cause of a new born baby's death.

For 'File on 4', Ann Alexander investigates.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Ann Alexander asks why the UK has some of the highest rates of stillbirths in Europe.

Allan Urry investigates how criminal syndicates have been able to target GPs, hospitals and chemists with cheap counterfeit drugs.

With the NHS under pressure to cut its 11 billion-pound annual spending on medicines, has the hunt for cheaper alternatives opened the door to these dangerous fakes?

Allan Urry investigates the sale of counterfeit drugs to GPs, hospitals and chemists.

03/03/2009

20090308

03/11/2009

20091108

05/07/2011

20110710

Do the complex financial products banks still offer threaten another meltdown?

05/10/2010

20101010

The planned withdrawal of British and other foreign troops from Afghanistan relies on the Afghan army and police to take over security duties.

Since 2002, the USA has spent $27bn - over half of its total reconstruction fund - training and equipping Afghan forces.

The aim is to build up an army of 171,600 people and a police force of 134,000 by October 2011.

The Afghan President Hamid Karzai wants national forces to be in complete control of the country by 2014.

But these targets, and the loyalty of some personnel, are called into question by recent killings carried out by members of the Afghan security forces:

*20 July 2010: two US weapons trainers were shot dead by an Afghan soldier

*13 July 2010: three British soldiers were attacked by an Afghan soldier who shot one dead in his bed and fired a rocket-propelled grenade which killed two others

*3 November 2009: three British soldiers and two members of the Royal Military Police were shot dead by an Afghan policeman.

An investigation published in June 2010 by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that officials had often overstated the readiness of Afghan forces, rating some units as first class when they were incapable of fighting the Taliban on their own.

It also reported high levels of desertion, corruption and drug abuse.

Gerry Northam asks if the transition to Afghan control is really on track.

Producer: David Lewis Editor: David Ross.

Can Afghan forces guarantee the country's security when British and other troops pull out?

06/07/2010

20100711

File on 4: Lifting the lid on illegal London - welcome to a world of forged documents and faked identities.

It's believed there are likely to be more than 200,000 illegal migrant workers in the UK's capital city.

But how are they able to survive.

How do they get work? In this special investigation, Jon Manel obtains rare access into the lives of some of London's illegal workers - lives often based on lies and deception.

He discovers that some are now so much part of the system, they even pay tax and national insurance.

He hears of miserable and difficult times spent living in the shadows.

But other illegal workers say they are making a bigger contribution than many who were born here.

"I'm doing a job that most English persons wouldn't do.

I think I've never seen an English person cleaning a toilet".

And he goes to a well known part of London that owes its survival to the workers who shouldn't be here.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Jon Manel lifts the lid on illegal working in London.

06/10/2009

20091011

07/06/2011

20110612

Allan Urry investigates claims that Iran has been stepping up its support for terrorism.

07/07/2009

20090712

08/06/2010

20100613

As MPs and senior officials retire on 'gold-plated' pensions, the media report that public sector pension schemes are heading for crisis because of multi-billion pound funding deficits.

Local Councils alone are said to face a black hole of £53bn, which critics claim can only be filled by drastic cuts in entitlements and increased contributions from staff.

Both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are committed to reform of the system.

Unions are planning a campaign to preserve their members' rights and have already secured a significant court victory blocking cuts to redundancy payments.

Gerry Northam looks behind the headlines and asks if there really is a looming pensions crisis.

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

Is there really a crisis over public sector pensions? Gerry Northam investigates.

08/12/2009

20091213

09/02/2010

20100214

09/03/2010

20100314

09/06/2009

20090614

10/02/2009

20090215

10/03/2009

20090315

The record of the Royal Military Police in dealing with alleged crimes by UK forces.

10/11/2009

20091115

12/07/2011

20110717

Facing massive job cuts, will the Border Agency be able to protect the UK's frontiers?

13/07/2010

20100718

Britain claims to have one of the most effective arms export control regimes in the world, but Allan Urry investigates how weapons dealers are using the UK to get huge secret consignments to the Middle East and other conflict zones, in defiance of UN Security Council sanctions.

New research plays down claims of an epidemic of mental illness among soldiers who've served in Afghanistan.

But do the official figures tell the full story? Julian O'halloran investigates and speaks to veterans who warn of a huge hidden problem and a culture that still pressurises soldiers to get on with the job rather than seek help.

And he reports from The Netherlands on efforts there to discover the extent of the psychological damage their military personnel may be suffering.

Producer Sally Chesworth.

Is there a hidden epidemic of mental illness among soldiers who've served in Afghanistan?

16/02/2010

20100221

16/03/2010

20100321

16/06/2009

20090621

17/02/2009

20090222

17/03/2009

20090322

Allan Urry reports on a crisis in town hall finances.

17/11/2009

20091122

18/11/2008

20081123

Amardeep Bassey investigates the funding of projects to reduce Islamic extremism in the UK

Amardeep Bassey investigates fears that some of the funds that Britain is spending on projects to prevent violent extremism taking root in Muslim communities may be falling into the hands of the very groups it is trying to defeat.

19/01/2010

20100124

19/07/2011

20110724

Allan Urry examines claims of a crisis in hospital accident and emergency services.

20/01/2009

20090125

21/07/2009

20090726

22/06/2010

20100627

Described as the modern-day face of slavery, scores of foreign workers are being brought into the UK to work in domestic servitude.

They work long hours - often under physical duress and for low or non-existent pay.

File on 4 investigates whether the authorities are doing enough to protect these workers - and to prosecute the people who've exploited them.

Gerry Northam examines the problems being posed by the shortage of organs for transplants.

25/05/2010

20100530

25/11/2008

20081125

20081130

Michael Robinson investigates whether the Prime Minister's instruction to banks to keep funds flowing will halt the rise in evictions and unemployment as repossession rates rocket due to the credit crunch.

Michael Robinson investigates the rise in evictions and unemployment.

26/01/2010

20100131

26/05/2009

20090531

27/07/2010

20100801

A special court system is supposed to protect the interests of the vulnerable and the elderly.

It's appointed thousands of 'deputies' - or guardians - to ensure their money is properly managed.

The system was reformed three years ago - but have the changes worked?

There have been allegations the system is slow, bureaucratic and open to abuse.

In some cases lawyers are appointed to oversee people's financial arrangements - and families claim they charge excessive fees.

In other cases, it's a relative who's appointed as a deputy - but are there adequate safeguards to ensure they're not misappropriating the money? Fran Abrams investigates cases where the system has left some vulnerable people worse off.

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

How well does the Court of Protection safeguard the finances of the old and vulnerable?

A special court system is supposed to protect the interests of the vulnerable and the elderly. It's appointed thousands of 'deputies' - or guardians - to ensure their money is properly managed. The system was reformed three years ago - but have the changes worked?

There have been allegations the system is slow, bureaucratic and open to abuse. In some cases lawyers are appointed to oversee people's financial arrangements - and families claim they charge excessive fees. In other cases, it's a relative who's appointed as a deputy - but are there adequate safeguards to ensure they're not misappropriating the money? Fran Abrams investigates cases where the system has left some vulnerable people worse off.

28/06/2011

20110703

Why the UK's elderly care sector is facing a financial crisis.

28/07/2009

20090802

29/06/2010

20100704

Is Britain's economic recovery going to be stifled by banks not offering sufficient finance to small and medium size companies?

Firms are concerned that although the banks say they are open for business the reality of the terms, conditions and fees make it unrealistic for them to apply for finance.

In frustration, some businesses have turned to foreign banks to make finance available to them.

And at a time when hi-tech businesses are seen as a source of future growth for the British economy, companies complain that banks are assessing loan applications using traditional business criteria which offer little support to this sector.

As the part state owned banks fail to meet lending targets set by the previous administration, the new Business Secretary Vince Cable says he is determined to address this.

But in the current climate how much more financial help can British business really expect?

For 'File on 4', Morland Sanders investigates.

Producer Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Is economic recovery at risk as banks are failing to lend? Morland Sanders investigates.

As the part state owned banks fail to meet lending targets set by the previous administration, the new Business Secretary Vince Cable says he is determined to address this. But in the current climate how much more financial help can British business really expect?

29/09/2009

20091004

30/06/2009

20090705

31/03/2009

20090405

Shari Vahl investigates the adequacy of safeguards to property rights in Britain.

911 Lawsuits

20031007

20031012

A Bridge Too Far?

20120320

20120325

A Bridge Too Far?

20120325

To the west of Edinburgh, construction of the new £1.5bn Forth road bridge will use cement shipped across the North Sea under a contract with a German supplier. Scotland's only cement company, based 40 miles from the bridge, was unsuccessful in the bidding. It is claimed that the deal could have maintained 130 jobs in the Dunbar area.

£790m worth of steel for the bridge will also come from abroad. A plant near Motherwell lost out as part of a consortium bidding for the work. It says the contract could have secured hundreds of local jobs.

Officials insist that they have to follow EU rules which state that any company across the single market can bid for public contracts. But analysts complain that UK authorities interpret these rules more narrowly than their European counterparts, to the detriment of British firms. French public spending goes outside France at only half the rate that British contracts go abroad.

With the economy struggling, the Government has pledged support for British business but accepts that public projects are too often awarded in a way that disadvantages domestic companies. So can it take action to support UK jobs without being accused of protectionism?

Reporter: Gerry Northam

Producer: Gail Champion.

Why do so many British public sector contracts go to foreign companies?

A Deadly Dilemma

20140701

20140706

In many parts of the world, charities are trying to deliver much-needed aid to desperate people living in areas controlled by militant groups. What do they do when counter-terrorism laws ban them from contact with those de facto authorities?

Risk of prosecution has now created a climate of fear in many aid agencies - and the UN wants counter-terrorism policies redrawn to ensure lives can be saved without charity workers risking jail.

Tim Whewell reports from Gaza - and talks to aid workers operating in Syria, Somalia and other places - on the practical and moral dilemmas involved.

Producer: Paul Grant.

A Deadly Prescription

20180130

As deaths involving prescription drugs increase, who is supplying demand on the streets?

There were a record 3,744 drug related deaths in England and Wales last year. While many were linked to street drugs such as heroin, a growing number also involve prescription medicines such as benzodiazepines and Fentanyl. Fentanyl addiction has swept across North America where the drug and other synthetic opioids have been blamed for thousands of deaths. It hit the headlines here when it was linked to a spike in fatalities in certain parts of the UK after being mixed with heroin.Allan Urry travels to Stockton on Tees where ten deaths have been linked to Fentanyl and its derivatives. He meets users and their families and the medical professionals and police dealing with the problem. But while Fentanyl is currently in the spotlight, it is tranquilisers and other sedatives often used by heroin users to dull withdrawal symptoms which are contributing to many more deaths. Nowhere is the problem more acute than in Scotland where benzodiazepines contributed to nearly half of all drug deaths.Many of the pills known as "street valium" or "blues" are made in back street laboratories run by organised crime gangs. Users gamble with their lives as the ingredients and strength of the tablets are often unknown.But File on 4 has discovered that organised crime gangs have also become involved in diverting significant numbers of highly addictive medicines from the legitimate supply chain onto the black market.Regulators say there is an extensive network of criminality involving businesses such as wholesale dealers and registered pharmacies. Some in the pharmaceutical industry such as drug manufacturers are repeating calls for supply chain regulation to be reviewed to ensure medicines reach their intended target.

Reporter: Allan UrryProducer: Paul Grant Editor: Gail Champion.

A Greek Tragedy

20170110

20170115 (R4)

The plight of unaccompanied child migrants arriving in Greece. Is the EU doing enough?

File on 4 sets off on a new series to find the forgotten children of Europe's refugee crisis.

As winter sets in, Phil Kemp heads to Greece in search of the teenagers who have arrived alone from Syria and Afghanistan, living by their wits on the streets of Athens.

The controversial deal struck between the EU and Turkey to return migrants who don't claim asylum or who have their claims rejected - and the closing of borders with Greece - has been blamed for making the situation worse for many migrants who now find themselves in limbo in Greece. The millions pledged by the EU don't seem to be bringing relief on the ground either.

The programme hears from the lucky ones who have found spaces at shelters for unaccompanied children in Greece's capital. Here they are fed, clothed and supported in their legal cases.

Others, on the island of Samos, are celebrating securing asylum in Greece. But most children on the island are not celebrating. They feel stuck in a system that cannot cope and held in a country that was meant to be a transit point, not a place to stay.

Increasingly the locals in Samos don't want them to say either. Tensions are flaring in the area around the vastly overcrowded camp, with Golden Dawn active nearby. Around 3,000 residents turned out to protest about their sense of abandonment by the Greek government and the EU. Local officials describe the island as 'trembling on a bridge above troubled water.'

With an estimated 2300 unaccompanied migrant children in Greece, more than half of whom are on the waiting list for shelter, File on 4 asks whether the EU is doing enough to care for those most in need of protection.

Reporter: Phil Kemp

Producer: Sally Chesworth

Editor: Gail Champion.

A Healthy Market?

20131112

20131117

What do we know about the deals struck with private companies to run parts of the NHS?

The biggest ever slice of the NHS is up for grabs in Cambridgeshire. Ten bidders, including NHS hospital trusts and private companies Serco, Virgin Care and Circle, are competing for a five year contract to run older peoples' services. It will be worth a minimum of £700,000. The successful bidder will provide everything from podiatry and occupational therapy to dementia treatment and end of life care. The stakes are high. But how much will patients be told about how the bid was won? With commissioners advertising dozens of other big money tenders, File on 4 looks at the secrecy surrounding NHS contracts when they're awarded and when they're challenged. Does commercial confidentiality make public accountability impossible? And how far does the competitive market improve healthcare for patients?

Reporter Jane Deith

Producer Ian Muir-Cochrane.

The biggest ever slice of the NHS is up for grabs in Cambridgeshire. Ten bidders, including NHS hospital trusts and private companies Serco, Virgin Care and Circle, are competing for a five year contract to run older peoples' services. It will be worth a minimum of £700,000. The successful bidder will provide everything from dentistry, to emergency hospital treatment and end of life care. The stakes are high. But how much will patients be told about how the bid was won? With commissioners advertising dozens of other big money tenders, File on 4 looks at the secrecy surrounding NHS contracts when they're awarded and when they're challenged. Does commercial confidentiality make public accountability impossible? And how far does the competitive market improve healthcare for patients?

A Living Death

20110621

20110626

A review into the care of patients in vegetative or low awareness states has been launched by the Royal College of Physicians.

There are thought to be as many as 5000 such people in the UK.

The working party will look at concerns that assessment and diagnosis of patients is not consistent across the country and will ask whether the cost of long term care is affordable to the NHS.

Ann Alexander examines calls for a reform of the process to end the life of such patients where their families believe their loved one would no longer wish to be alive.

The programme reveals how some hospitals appear unaware of the law and hears how the process can be lengthy and costly, putting families under further strain.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Should it be made simpler to end the life of patients in a vegetative state?

A review into the care of patients in vegetative or low awareness states has been launched by the Royal College of Physicians. There are thought to be as many as 5000 such people in the UK.

A Living Death

20110626

A review into the care of patients in vegetative or low awareness states has been launched by the Royal College of Physicians. There are thought to be as many as 5000 such people in the UK.

The working party will look at concerns that assessment and diagnosis of patients is not consistent across the country and will ask whether the cost of long term care is affordable to the NHS.

Ann Alexander examines calls for a reform of the process to end the life of such patients where their families believe their loved one would no longer wish to be alive.

The programme reveals how some hospitals appear unaware of the law and hears how the process can be lengthy and costly, putting families under further strain.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Should it be made simpler to end the life of patients in a vegetative state?

A Pensions Patchwork

20150310

20150315 (R4)

In Canada, everything is big - including powerful pension funds such as the Ontario Teachers fund which owns half of Birmingham airport and other large projects around the world. It's all a far cry from the British pension scene, where a hundred local government pension funds each run their own affairs separately and pay costly fees to City firms for investment advice.

Many of them still have financial deficits. Taxpayers have been forced to pick up bills to pay off those shortfalls and already hard-pressed local services have been stretched further.

Lesley Curwen investigates how these individual funds are run and asks whether we should have larger funds with cheaper costs - like Canada does. And she asks whether more councils should be using pension money to invest in housing and infrastructure as a way to boost their local economies?

Producer: Anna Meisel Reporter: Lesley Curwen.

A Place Of Safety?

20130730

20130804

Psychiatric hospitals have a duty to keep their patients safe, which means taking extra care with patients suffering acute depression who may be at risk of self-harm.

So campaigners argue that when a patient commits suicide, it is vital that a thorough investigation should discover any failings by doctors and nurses and any weaknesses in hospital systems of communication or levels of staffing.

But, unlike deaths in prison or police custody, fatalities in psychiatric units are not reviewed from the start by a fully independent investigator. Initial reports are usually prepared by staff of the NHS and kept confidential to the health officials and family concerned. Only at the subsequent inquest does an independent inquiry take over.

Critics call this 'a recipe for cover-up by the NHS'.

File on 4 reports on a series of suicides in one psychiatric unit which have led the local coroner to accuse the NHS of 'a catalogue of failures stemming from an institutional complacency'.

Reporter - Gerry Northam

Producer - Gail Champion.

A Taxing Dilemma

20101026

20101031

While the government axes public spending to try to cut the deficit, Michael Robinson investigates loopholes which let big businesses slash their UK tax bills.

This month George Osborne said he plans to make Britain the most attractive corporate tax regime in the G20.

But some companies have already moved abroad for tax reasons.

And for others able to operate on a global scale, there are many ways for them to reduce their tax liability.

This month George Osborne said he plans to make Britain the most attractive corporate tax regime in the G20. But some companies have already moved abroad for tax reasons. And for others able to operate on a global scale, there are many ways for them to reduce their tax liability. So how does the Government square the tax circle?

A Taxing Dilemma

20101031

While the government axes public spending to try to cut the deficit, Michael Robinson investigates loopholes which let big businesses slash their UK tax bills.

This month George Osborne said he plans to make Britain the most attractive corporate tax regime in the G20. But some companies have already moved abroad for tax reasons. And for others able to operate on a global scale, there are many ways for them to reduce their tax liability. So how does the Government square the tax circle?

Julian O'halloran investigates the events surrounding the fiasco of the opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow.

He examines the record of BAA, the company running several of Britain's busiest airports.

Abandoned To Their Fate

20150602

20150607 (R4)

Next month the National Audit Office is due to report on the outcomes for young people leaving care. There are claims that, under financial pressure, local authorities are pushing too many teenagers into independent living before they're ready. File on 4 investigates new figures that suggest many young care leavers are failing to cope - with large numbers ending up in custody, homeless, sexually exploited or pregnant. Social services chiefs say the welfare of care-leavers must be a key priority for the new government. But who holds them to account when they fail those they are meant to have looked after? And, with more cuts on the way, can the system cope? Fran Abrams reveals how hands-off caring can have tragic consequences.

About A Boy - The Hidden Victims Of Grooming

20170718

Are teenage boys let down by the system when they report being targeted by paedophiles?

What happens when your teenage son is targeted by abusers?

File on 4 tells one family's story of fighting the authorities to get support and justice after a 13 year old boy was aggressively groomed by scores of men, aged from their 20s to their 50s. It is a shocking story of opportunities missed, meaning the boy endured assaults by multiple men for years. We look at the impact of that sustained abuse on him and his parents, who were desperately trying to shield him from harm. He says he was dismissed, and even blamed by authorities responsible for protecting him.

Why were they so let down? And have the police been slow to get to grips with cases of child sexual exploitation when they involve boys?

One safeguarding expert tells the programme: "Policy is not matching practice on the ground. It was completely missed that this boy was a child. We need to lift the lid on what is going on when the victims are boys."

Are boys on the radar of authorities or are they grooming's hidden victims?

Reporter: Alys HarteProducer: Sally Chesworth.

Abuse In Sport

20120710

20120715

It was the Paul Hickson scandal in the mid 90s which first brought the issue of sexual abuse in sport to the public eye. The Olympic swimming coach was jailed for 17 years for raping and sexually abusing young girls he trained. The case led to the setting up of the Child Protection in Sport Unit and the introduction of safeguarding measures in most sports.

But, more than a decade on, the problem hasn't gone away and this edition of File on 4 reveals new figures which show how many allegations of sexual and physical abuse were made across most major sports last year.

The programme also examines concerns about the way information about coaches who have disciplined or banned, is shared with parents and other sports bodies, primarily because of data protection laws. It reveals how some coaches accused of sexual misconduct are able to move between sporting organisations and carry on coaching

Reporter Chris Buckler also hears calls from families and child welfare charities for a change in the law to make it illegal for coaches to have a sex with athletes aged 16 or 17 which would bring them in line with teachers and others who have close contact with young people

Presenter: Chris Buckler

Producer: Paul Grant.

Abused But Not Heard

20140916

20140921

Victims of sexual abuse at Knowl View school in Rochdale tell their side of the story.

Knowl View special school for boys has become infamous as the haunt of Cyril Smith. Prosecutors now say 'Mr Rochdale' should have been charged with abuse of boys while he was alive. But he was not the only one. In the first of a new series, former pupils in the 1970s, 80s and 90s tell File on 4 how a web of abusers, including local paedophiles and other pupils preyed on boys as young as eight while people supposed to protect them looked the other way. Previous police investigations came to nothing. A new probe is underway, focusing on who could be guilty of a criminal cover up. But what became of the innocent? Jane Deith hears from some of those who experienced life in Knowl View. Telling their stories for the first time, they describe childhoods twisted by sexual abuse. Now questions are being asked about whether the failure to end the abuse at Knowl View led to a culture in which the subsequent grooming of young girls in Rochdale was allowed to happen. Alan Collins, a specialist child abuse lawyer representing some of the men who're suing Rochdale Council over abuse at Know View, believes things would have been different had Cyril Smith been prosecuted and convicted: "That would have sent a clear message through Rochdale and much further afield that there was clearly a problem and that problem would not have been so easy to brush away. I think that had a very long tail and that that tail continued right up until recent times."

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Afghanistan Elections

20040629

20040704

As the US and Britain hand over power to a new administration in Iraq, Jenny Cuffe reports from Afghanistan on the attempts at nation-building there.

Elections are due in September, but with President Karzai's Government still deeply unpopular, and with the Taliban resurgent in the south, is Afghanistan really on the road back to democracy?

As the US and Britain hand over power to a new administration in Iraq, Jenny Cuffe reports from Afghanistan on the attempts at nation-building there. Elections are due in September, but with President Karzai's Government still deeply unpopular, and with the Taliban resurgent in the south, is Afghanistan really on the road back to democracy?

As the US and Britain hand over power to a new administration in Iraq, Jenny Cuffe reports from Afghanistan on the attempts at nation-building there. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

After The Floods - A Tale Of Two Cities

20160209

20160214 (R4)

The Dutch city of Nijmegen has much in common with the English city of York. Similar in size, both are much visited by tourists because of their histories and architecture. But both also have rivers running through them and are susceptible to flooding. So how do their defences compare? And, as York and other communities continue to mop up the damage caused by the latest catastrophic flooding, did basic mistakes and a failure of planning make a bad situation very much worse?

Reporter: Allan Urry Producer: Rob Cave.

Air Crashes

20110405

20110410

The investigation following an air disaster is supposed to make air travel safer.

But do the reports always get to the truth about why planes crash? Emma Jane Kirby examines claims that international air accident investigations are often slow, incompetent and influenced by political sensitivities.

So how does this affect the victims' families as they fight manufacturers and airlines for compensation? And could the blame game be preventing lessons being learned that could prevent future accidents?

Producer Jenny Chryss.

When a plane crashes, does the investigation always get to the real reasons?

The investigation following an air disaster is supposed to make air travel safer. But do the reports always get to the truth about why planes crash? Emma Jane Kirby examines claims that international air accident investigations are often slow, incompetent and influenced by political sensitivities. So how does this affect the victims' families as they fight manufacturers and airlines for compensation? And could the blame game be preventing lessons being learned that could prevent future accidents?

Air Crashes

20110410

When a plane crashes, does the investigation always get to the real reasons?

Airport Woes

20110222

2011022720110227 (R4)

Business travel and Christmas holidays were ruined for hundreds of thousands of people by snow.

While many airports abroad bounced back quickly from bad weather, some in Britain began to resemble refugee camps.

But discontent among passengers and airlines goes well beyond winter readiness.

Julian O'Halloran asks how one operator BAA, justifies its grip on no fewer than half a dozen British airports? And questions whether government and regulators need to take more control over the industry in order to prevent further damage to Britain's image abroad..

Producer : Samantha Fenwick.

Why were flights grounded by snow? Do Britain's airport woes run deeper than bad weather?

Business travel and Christmas holidays were ruined for hundreds of thousands of people by snow. While many airports abroad bounced back quickly from bad weather, some in Britain began to resemble refugee camps. But discontent among passengers and airlines goes well beyond winter readiness.

Airport Woes

20110227

Business travel and Christmas holidays were ruined for hundreds of thousands of people by snow. While many airports abroad bounced back quickly from bad weather, some in Britain began to resemble refugee camps. But discontent among passengers and airlines goes well beyond winter readiness.

Julian O'Halloran asks how one operator BAA, justifies its grip on no fewer than half a dozen British airports? And questions whether government and regulators need to take more control over the industry in order to prevent further damage to Britain's image abroad..

Producer : Samantha Fenwick.

Why were flights grounded by snow? Do Britain's airport woes run deeper than bad weather?

Alcohol Fraud

20121009

20121014

Alcohol smuggling is costing more than a billion pounds in lost taxes. Allan Urry reports.

A criminal gang was recently jailed for one of the biggest ever alcohol smuggling rackets in the UK. It's become big business for organised crime according to HMRC, with tax losses in unpaid duty as high as £1.2 billion per year. MP's are demanding tougher action. But these are highly complex frauds, which take years to investigate. Allan Urry examines the scale of the challenge facing the authorities, and reveals the extent to which criminals have penetrated the legitimate market in beer, wine and spirits

Presenter: Allan Urry

Producer: Paul Grant.

An Inside Job

20151110

20151115 (R4)

British people smugglers: inside the trade in bringing illegal immigrants into the UK.

An inside job: the Britons smuggling illegal immigrants into the UK.

File on 4 hears from Britons jailed for hiding people in their cars. They reveal why - and how - they did it.

They were paid to smuggle people across the Channel by gangs based in London and the North West.

This unofficial migrant taxi service - run from camps in Calais and Dunkirk - is believed to be netting criminal networks millions of pounds a year.

But even that is dwarfed by the money to be made by British criminals bringing migrants over by the lorry load. Jane Deith reveals how the trade is spreading along the coast of Northern Europe, to Belgium and Holland. And she hears from Europol's Chief of Staff about the extent to which criminal networks based in Britain are involved in people smuggling. He tells the programme that more than 800 people have been identified as suspects.

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Paul Grant.

An Inside Job?

20111101

20111106

The Justice Secretary Ken Clarke wants more jobs for convicts.

He told his party conference: "If we want prison to work, then our prisoners have got to be working".

He encourages private companies to open workshops inside prisons, where inmates would be 'properly paid' for hard work, would pay their due of taxes and help fund victims' support.

Mr Clarke points to a metal factory in a Merseyside prison where prisoners work a 40 hour week and learn skills which could make them more employable on release.

He argues that this will also make then less likely to return to crime.

But is this plan practicable?

Prison Governors say that two-thirds of their inmates were unemployed before they started their sentences and that they are generally reluctant to engage in meaningful work.

One prison reform group which set up a pioneering graphic design studio inside prison says the project was popular and effective among prisoners but was forced to close following hostility and obstruction from officers.

Gerry Northam asks if the government is overstating the possible advantages of its policy, and investigates whether it can be made to succeed at a time when the Ministry of Justice faces funding cuts.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Should more prisoners be made to work? And are government plans to make them realistic?

The Justice Secretary Ken Clarke wants more jobs for convicts. He told his party conference: "If we want prison to work, then our prisoners have got to be working". He encourages private companies to open workshops inside prisons, where inmates would be 'properly paid' for hard work, would pay their due of taxes and help fund victims' support.

Mr Clarke points to a metal factory in a Merseyside prison where prisoners work a 40 hour week and learn skills which could make them more employable on release. He argues that this will also make then less likely to return to crime.

Prison Governors say that two-thirds of their inmates were unemployed before they started their sentences and that they are generally reluctant to engage in meaningful work. They say many of them can hardly read and write.

Governors also fear that moving jobs inside prison would mean taking opportunities away from law-abiding job-seekers outside. And they complain that it would prove costly in terms of staff time.

An Inside Job?

20111106

The Justice Secretary Ken Clarke wants more jobs for convicts. He told his party conference: "If we want prison to work, then our prisoners have got to be working". He encourages private companies to open workshops inside prisons, where inmates would be 'properly paid' for hard work, would pay their due of taxes and help fund victims' support.

Mr Clarke points to a metal factory in a Merseyside prison where prisoners work a 40 hour week and learn skills which could make them more employable on release. He argues that this will also make then less likely to return to crime.

But is this plan practicable?

Prison Governors say that two-thirds of their inmates were unemployed before they started their sentences and that they are generally reluctant to engage in meaningful work. They say many of them can hardly read and write.

Governors also fear that moving jobs inside prison would mean taking opportunities away from law-abiding job-seekers outside. And they complain that it would prove costly in terms of staff time.

One prison reform group which set up a pioneering graphic design studio inside prison says the project was popular and effective among prisoners but was forced to close following hostility and obstruction from officers.

Gerry Northam asks if the government is overstating the possible advantages of its policy, and investigates whether it can be made to succeed at a time when the Ministry of Justice faces funding cuts.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Should more prisoners be made to work? And are government plans to make them realistic?

An Unsafe Conviction?

20160524

20160529 (R4)

For the past 22 years Thomas Bourke has been in prison for a double murder he says he didn't commit.

The killings made national headlines in 1993 when two MOT inspectors, Alan Singleton and Simon Bruno, were shot dead at a garage in Stockport, in Greater Manchester.

The evidence produced in court against Bourke seemed compelling. Two mechanics at the garage said they had seen him carry out the shooting which the prosecution claimed was motivated by a dispute about his licence to carry out MOT tests.

As the jury began their deliberations, a gun was found inside Strangeways prison where Bourke was on remand. Amid subsequent heightened security around the court, he was found guilty and given a minimum 25 year sentence. But protesting his innocence all these years means that he may never be eligible for parole so could remain in prison for the rest of his life.

His sister Jo has been tirelessly fighting his case. A chiropodist with no connections to criminals, she began visiting notorious drug dealers and suspected killers to try to gather new evidence that would help clear his name.

Through the work of Jo and other campaigners, Bourke's case is now back with the Criminal Cases Review Commission which they hope will lead to an appeal.

So has Thomas Bourke been the victim of a shocking miscarriage of justice? Simon Cox investigates.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Asset Returns

20120703

20120708

Are stolen Arab billions still locked in British banks? Jenny Cuffe reports.

The Arab world's newest governments are desperate to retrieve billions banked in Britain by despots including Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

The money, they say, was stolen from their people and is needed to rebuild shattered economies.

In 'File on 4' Jenny Cuffe reports on the Arab nations' mounting impatience at the lengthy and costly process of investigation demanded to prove that assets were illicitly obtained by the now deposed leaders, their families and associates.

Already Egypt has gone to court to demand more information from the British Treasury about where their lost billions are stashed.

And campaigners in Tunisia - the first of the Arab Spring nations - complain Britain is dragging its feet. They contrast slow progress in London with a more helpful response from the country once renowned as the most impenetrable of banking fortresses: Switzerland.

Producer: Andy Denwood

Presenter: Jenny Cuffe.

Asylum Seekers

20030701

20030706

With the Government promising to reduce the number of asylum seekers in Britain, Julian O'halloran examines progress so far.

Will the Prime Minister be able to deliver on his personal pledge to cut applications by fifty per cent by September? / "Can the government keep its promise to reduce the number of asylum seekers in Britain? Julian Halloran investigates.

".

Asylum Seekers

20150210

20150215 (R4)

Around 28 thousand people are claiming asylum in the UK. They're accommodated in some of the nation's most deprived areas while their cases are considered. Now, with numbers on the rise, some communities say they're struggling to cope. Allan Urry reports from the Northwest of England where, in some areas, there's concern about growing pressures on health services and schools. In Liverpool the City's Mayor, Joe Anderson, talks of an asylum "apartheid" and says other towns and cities need to take a fairer share. In Rochdale in Greater Manchester, there are more asylum seekers than the whole of the south east of England. The local MP Simon Danczuk says he's worried the pressures could undermine the good community relations that have always existed in the town.

Recent stories of asylum seekers living in fancy hotels have led to outraged newspaper headlines but are they a symptom of bigger failings in the UK's system for housing those who come here seeking refuge?

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Matt Precey.

Around 25 thousand people a year claim asylum in the UK. They're accommodated in some of the nation's most deprived areas while their cases are considered. Now, with numbers on the rise, some communities say they're struggling to cope. Allan Urry reports from Greater Manchester - which has more asylum seekers than the whole of the south east of England - on the pressures that the latest arrivals pose for local health services and schools. And he investigates conditions for those claiming refuge. Stories of asylum seekers living in fancy hotels have led to outraged newspaper headlines but are they a symptom of bigger failings in a system marked by sub-standard housing and long backlogs in dealing with cases?

Back Home From Isis

20180619

20180624 (R4)

What risks do returning jihadis from IS in Iraq and Syria pose in the UK?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

For years, the so-called Islamic State has managed to attract thousands of wannabe jihadis and jihadi brides to join their caliphate. The extremist propaganda, online videos and recruiters have seen thousands of people from all over the world flock to Iraq and Syria to join IS; including 850 men, women and children from the UK. The brutality of the terror group is now well known, partly due to their own publicity online. Videos and stories of beheadings, floggings and sex slaves have been released to the public, drawing in a new wave of foreign fighters.

IS has since had setbacks, losing ground in it's strongholds in Iraq and Syria and its administrative capital Raqqa. But the caliphate has not admitted defeat, instead promising more attacks in the West.

It's thought 50% of UK citizens who left to join IS, have now returned home- the rest are dead, detained or missing. What happens to these returnees when they come back? With only a minority being prosecuted and imprisoned, what efforts are being made to de-radicalise the rest?

This investigation explores the danger posed by UK returnees, the efforts to de-radicalise and reintegrate them and the difficulties of proving they were ever part of the caliphate once they've returned home.

Reporter: Paul KenyonProducer: Kate West Editor: Gail Champion.

Bad Solicitors

20040622

20040627

For years, trying to complain about bad solicitors has been fraught with difficulty.

As the Law Society's ability to control its members is yet again under scrutiny, Fran Abrams investigates growing concern over the extent of malpractice in the profession.

For years, trying to complain about bad solicitors has been fraught with difficulty. As the Law Society's ability to control its members is yet again under scrutiny, Fran Abrams investigates growing concern over the extent of malpractice in the profession.

Behind Closed Doors

20161025

20161030 (R4)

This July, days after walking into the top job at number 10, Theresa May renewed her commitment to crack down on modern day slavery, describing it as "the great human rights issue of our time".

The 2015 Modern Slavery Act gave prosecutors more options to pursue offenders, it handed judges the ability to dole out life sentences and promised more protection for victims. But in the clamour to tackle modern slavery, has the plight of overseas domestic workers, who toil in the homes of wealthy overseas visitors as nannies, cooks and cleaners, been forgotten?

This summer File on 4 followed migrant domestic workers as they escaped abusive employers in the dead of night. Through their stories, the programme questions whether recent measures go far enough to adequately protect an invisible workforce who've been tricked and trapped into a life of exploitation.

Reporter: Phillip Kemp

Producers: Sarah Shebbeare and Ben Robinson.

Benefit Sanctions

20150120

20150125 (R4)

are supposed to be part of a system helping people back to work. But critics say they penalise the vulnerable and are among the reasons for the growing use of food banks. So how fair is the Government's system of withholding state payments for those who don't comply with welfare rules? Allan Urry hears from whistleblowers who allege some JobCentrePlus staff are setting claimants up to fail in order to meet internal performance targets. Why did a recovering amputee lose his benefits because he didn't answer the phone?

Reporter: Allan Urry Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Benefit sanctions are supposed to be part of a system helping people back to work. But critics say they penalise the vulnerable and are among the reasons for the growing use of food banks. So how fair is the Government's system of withholding state payments for those who don't comply with welfare rules? Allan Urry hears from whistleblowers who allege some JobCentrePlus staff are setting claimants up to fail in order to meet internal performance targets. Why did a recovering amputee lose his benefits because he didn't answer the phone?

Benefit sanctions are aimed at shirkers, but is the system also penalising the vulnerable?

Bent Cops

20110208

20110213 (R4)

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Following a number of high profile trials in which officers have been jailed, Allan Urry investigates the crimes they committed and asks if more could have been done to stop them. A constable given a life sentence earlier this month for a series of sex attacks on vulnerable women he met while on duty, had previously been put on trial for rape, during his time in the army. Why didn't the police service know this when they agreed to employ him?

How was a police sergeant able to live a double life as a respected bobby and as the leader of a ruthless underworld crime gang, dealing drugs, laundering money, and intimidating witnesses?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Allan Urry investigates.

Bent Cops

20110213

20110215

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Following a number of high profile trials in which officers have been jailed, Allan Urry investigates the crimes they committed and asks if more could have been done to stop them.

A constable given a life sentence earlier this month for a series of sex attacks on vulnerable women he met while on duty, had previously been put on trial for rape, during his time in the army.

Why didn't the police service know this when they agreed to employ him?

How was a police sergeant able to live a double life as a respected bobby and as the leader of a ruthless underworld crime gang, dealing drugs, laundering money, and intimidating witnesses?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Allan Urry investigates.

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Following a number of high profile trials in which officers have been jailed, Allan Urry investigates the crimes they committed and asks if more could have been done to stop them. A constable given a life sentence earlier this month for a series of sex attacks on vulnerable women he met while on duty, had previously been put on trial for rape, during his time in the army. Why didn't the police service know this when they agreed to employ him?

Bent Cops

20110215

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Following a number of high profile trials in which officers have been jailed, Allan Urry investigates the crimes they committed and asks if more could have been done to stop them. A constable given a life sentence earlier this month for a series of sex attacks on vulnerable women he met while on duty, had previously been put on trial for rape, during his time in the army. Why didn't the police service know this when they agreed to employ him?

How was a police sergeant able to live a double life as a respected bobby and as the leader of a ruthless underworld crime gang, dealing drugs, laundering money, and intimidating witnesses?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Allan Urry investigates.

Biosecurity

20120207

20120212

Dutch and American scientists have succeeded in mutating a deadly bird-flu virus to make it easily transmissible to humans. If it got out, it could start a fatal epidemic. They keep it securely locked away in their laboratories, but want to publish the biological recipe for making it. In an unprecedented move, the U.S. government is pressing them to keep the details of their experiments secret for fear that bio-terrorists could use the organism to kill hundreds of millions of people.

At the same time, a rapidly developing branch of science known as 'synthetic biology' offers dramatic possibilities for developing new vaccines and targeting many lethal diseases. But does it also increase the risk that newly-created organisms could be used for harmful purposes as the necessary research techniques spread out from authorised laboratories to a network of DIY enthusiasts?

Could genetic mutation of pathogens become as commonplace as home-brewing? And how well protected is the UK against biological threats?

Reporter : Gerry Northam

Producer : Nicola Dowling

Editor : David Ross.

As scientists alter viruses to make potentially deadly mutations, is the public at risk?

Biosecurity

20120212

As scientists alter viruses to make potentially deadly mutations, is the public at risk?

Bitter Medicine

20110118

20110123

Legal aid has been withdrawn from a long-running case against a pharmaceutical giant.

Children born with severe disabilities, including spina bifida, were suing the manufacturer of an anti-epilepsy drug which their mothers took during pregnancy and which they blame for causing birth defects - a claim the company denies.

After years of legal proceedings which the claimants' solicitors say have so far cost £3.25m, the Legal Services Commision refused a much smaller sum to take the case to trial, just weeks before hearings were due to start.

As a result, more than a hundred claimants are left with no chance of their day in court.

Their case was not deemed strong enough to pass the standard test which requires them to prove that the drug doubled (at least) the risk of harm.

This test is called into question by experts in cases against pharmaceutical companies in Britain and the USA.

A lower level of proof is needed in American courts.

The government has announced that future patients in England and Wales alleging clinical negligence or personal injury can expect to have their applications for legal aid refused under its programme of spending cuts.

No such change of policy is planned in Scotland.

A case is proceeding there with support from legal aid by a patient who took another drug, for relieving arthritis, which is blamed for increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes - again this is denied by the company concerned.

Patients in England and Wales who took the same drug and suffered heart attacks have been turned down for legal aid funding and have shelved their cases.

Legal aid has been withdrawn from a long-running case against a pharmaceutical giant. Children born with severe disabilities, including spina bifida, were suing the manufacturer of an anti-epilepsy drug which their mothers took during pregnancy and which they blame for causing birth defects - a claim the company denies.

After years of legal proceedings which the claimants' solicitors say have so far cost £3.25m, the Legal Services Commision refused a much smaller sum to take the case to trial, just weeks before hearings were due to start. As a result, more than a hundred claimants are left with no chance of their day in court.

Their case was not deemed strong enough to pass the standard test which requires them to prove that the drug doubled (at least) the risk of harm. This test is called into question by experts in cases against pharmaceutical companies in Britain and the USA. A lower level of proof is needed in American courts.

The government has announced that future patients in England and Wales alleging clinical negligence or personal injury can expect to have their applications for legal aid refused under its programme of spending cuts.

No such change of policy is planned in Scotland. A case is proceeding there with support from legal aid by a patient who took another drug, for relieving arthritis, which is blamed for increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes - again this is denied by the company concerned. Patients in England and Wales who took the same drug and suffered heart attacks have been turned down for legal aid funding and have shelved their cases.

How well are Britain's borders patrolled and defended at a time when the authorities are battling to stem the flow of illegal immigrants coming across the Channel and tightening national security because of fears of a terrorist attack by extremists returning from fighting in Syria and Iraq?

Allan Urry assesses the vulnerability of our ports, struggling with cuts to Border Force personnel and problems with a computer system that was supposed to have identified all those coming into and going out of the UK. The programme reveals how security checks on cargo are being compromised and hears concern about the gaps in surveillance of our coastline.

Producer: Emma Forde

Reporter: Allan Urry.

Breaking Into Britain

20170117

20170122 (R4)

Revealed: the secret UK immigration dodges on offer on the high street.

Theresa May has promised to stick to a promise to bring down net migration to the tens of thousands, and post the vote for Brexit, is under pressure to be tough on immigration.

But File on 4 has found a market in fake documentation is helping some migrants who aren't eligible to come here, to get the necessary visas.

High street immigration advisers, and even a solicitor tell the programme's undercover researcher how to buy their way in using fake documentation.

The programme asks what the authorities are doing to catch the crooks.

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Paul Grant

Editor: Gail Champion.

Britain In Flood

20130226

20130303

Has the Government done enough to protect communities from flooding? Were cuts in river maintenance work responsible for farmers land in Somerset being underwater for months? Why are planners allowing developers to continue to build on floodplains? A committee of MPs accuses the Coalition of being woefully slow to bring in measures to combat the problem. Allan Urry investigates.

Producer Nicola Dowling.

Britain's Plutonium Mountain

20130219

20130224

The Government is currently deciding what to do with the UK's civilian plutonium stockpile - the largest in the world. Some are concerned that it could become the target of terrorists intent on making a dirty bomb.

The stockpile has come from nuclear waste that was reprocessed to extract plutonium which was to have been used to power a new generation of fast breeder reactors. But that project failed to be finished and now just over 100 tonnes of it is being stored at Sellafield in Cumbria. The stockpile grew even more when the UK received imports from Japan and Germany which it had hoped to convert into fuel - again this project has failed to deliver.

The Government is considering a number of options.

Convert the plutonium into mixed oxide (Mox) fuel and then burn the fuel in conventional, nuclear reactors. This would involve the construction of a second Mox fuel plant at Sellafield despite the fact the first plant failed to produce any significant amount of Mox and was closed in 2011.

Burn the plutonium in a new breed of Prism fast reactors. But critics say the technology is not proven and therefore risky.

Treat it as a deadly waste product and bury the plutonium currently stored at Sellafield deep underground for thousands of years. Again critics say burying waste is risky and even then the plutonium would have to be treated before it could go into the facility. Supporters of plutonium as fuel still claim that would be throwing away a potentially valuable asset. On top of that we are not likely to have a repository for decades and very few local authorities have volunteered to consider having it in their back yard.

Rob Broomby investigates the difficult questions facing the Government whose decision will potentially bring in a bill for the taxpayer of billions of pounds.

And how much of gamble will it be choosing what to do with this most deadly of substances?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

The Government is currently deciding what to do with the UK's civilian plutonium stockpile - the largest in world. Some are concerned that it could become the target of terrorists intent on making a dirty bomb.

Britain's Squalid Prisons - Who's To Blame?

Bungled Autopsies

20021001

20021006

Fran Abrams investigates a crisis in the forensic pathology service, asking if innocent people are being convicted because of bungled autopsies.

Business And Football

20031104

20031109

As increasing numbers of football clubs hit the financial buffers and slide into administration, Jenny Cuffe examines the realities of 'the beautiful game' for sides which play outside the lucrative Premiership.

Have those who run soccer done enough to referee the tensions between business and sport?

Cafcass

20030708

20030713

"Jenny Cuffe investigates claims of a crisis in the children's court service, CAFCASS, and asks if poor management and financial constraints are putting the lives of children at risk.

Car Emissions - Coming Clean?

20170711

After the US diesel scandal, does Europe also need to come clean about car emissions?

Volkswagen Group faced a 15 billion fine after the US environmental protection agency found it had fitted cars with software designed to cheat official pollution tests.

Their engines seemed clean in laboratory tests; on the road they emitted much higher levels of nitrogen oxide gas which can damage our health.

Although 8.5 million VW engines in Europe were fitted with the same so-called 'defeat devices', no EU state has yet to take any action against the manufacturer.

File on 4 tells the story of how the emissions scandal has spread to manufacturers beyond Volkswagen.

Europe's MEPs have voted for a new 'real driving emissions' test, but critics accuse European Council ministers of watering it down to please their domestic car industries. A proposal for an independent EU agency to oversee emissions tests and issue sanctions was blocked.

And the manufacturers have been given breathing space before they must meet the legal emissions standards - the new legislation lets them emit beyond the pollution limits for years to come.

Diesel cars were supposed to bring down emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2. But have those plans now gone up in smoke?

The programme asks whether this is the next emissions scandal and whether Europe has the power to make cars as clean as they say they are.

Reporter: Jane DeithProducer: Rob Cave.

Care Homes: When An Inspector Calls

20101123

20101128

A new law regulating care homes in England came into force last month.

All homes must be registered and ensure they meet certain standards of quality and safety.

The regulator - the Care Quality Commission - is promising to monitor homes and take action against those who fail to meet standards.

But unions say the numbers of inspectors has been cut.

They are warning of fewer inspections and say staff are so overstretched they could miss vital warning signs of abuse or neglect.

Worried relatives say they feel their concerns are not being heard.

Frans Abrams asks whether the elderly in care homes are being adequately protected.

Is enough being done to protect the elderly in care homes? Fran Abrams investigates.

Fran Abrams asks whether the elderly in care homes are being adequately protected.

Producer: Paul Grant.

A new law regulating care homes in England came into force last month. All homes must be registered and ensure they meet certain standards of quality and safety. The regulator - the Care Quality Commission - is promising to monitor homes and take action against those who fail to meet standards.

But unions say the numbers of inspectors has been cut. They are warning of fewer inspections and say staff are so overstretched they could miss vital warning signs of abuse or neglect. Worried relatives say they feel their concerns are not being heard.

Care Homes: When An Inspector Calls

20101128

A new law regulating care homes in England came into force last month. All homes must be registered and ensure they meet certain standards of quality and safety. The regulator - the Care Quality Commission - is promising to monitor homes and take action against those who fail to meet standards.

But unions say the numbers of inspectors has been cut. They are warning of fewer inspections and say staff are so overstretched they could miss vital warning signs of abuse or neglect. Worried relatives say they feel their concerns are not being heard.

Fran Abrams asks whether the elderly in care homes are being adequately protected.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Is enough being done to protect the elderly in care homes? Fran Abrams investigates.

Carers In Conflict

20120124

20120129

Jenny Cuffe talks to foster parents who find themselves battling with local authorities over the children in their care. They describe a Kafkaesque nightmare where doors are shut, telephone calls and emails unanswered, even court orders are ignored. Meanwhile, vulnerable children are treated as pawns as social workers move them from one place to another.

In one case investigated by File on 4, foster parents who offered to care for four siblings were denied the financial and practical support they needed from the council. Their official complaints were upheld yet key recommendations continued to be ignored and, as a consequence, the children have now been split up. After giving up their jobs to care for the children, the couple are now in debt and have to sell their home. The local MP describes the council's treatment of the family as outrageous. He says the case is extreme but not unusual and he's called for an enquiry.

In another case, a teenager with complex mental and physical needs was unlawfully removed from the foster home where he'd grown up. His sister told File on 4: "When he was in his foster mum's care he was always clean, always happy and he looked well but when I saw him he was dishevelled. It was as if someone took him away from himself. I felt his personality had gone." When his foster mother went to court to get him back, she was vilified by the council who used public funds to defend their actions to the bitter end but lost in court.

A recent report identified a shortage of foster carers in the UK but are some councils driving away the people who should be their best resource?

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

File on 4 investigates claims of bullying and abuse of power by social services.

Carers In Conflict

20120129

File on 4 investigates claims of bullying and abuse of power by social services.

Cash From The Crisis

20111025

20111030

World leaders preparing for the G20 conference are facing a threat to the global economy from the on-going Eurozone sovereign debt crisis. But as they try to avert further economic catastrophe some investors see opportunities to profit from the mayhem.

Michael Robinson reveals how on-going economic volatility and uncertainty can also present golden investment opportunities - and how, through complex trades, bets and investments, some find cash in the current crisis.

Producer: Gail Champion

Reporter: Michael Robinson

Editor: David Ross.

How investors are profiting from the Eurozone crisis. Can money be made from disaster?

World leaders preparing for the G20 conference are facing a threat to the global economy from the on-going Eurozone sovereign debt crisis.

But as they try to avert further economic catastrophe some investors see opportunities to profit from the mayhem.

How investors are profiting from the Eurozone crisis.

Can money be made from disaster?

Cash From The Crisis

20111030

Changing Tides: Can The Uk Keep Its Renewable Energy Promises?

20161018

20161023 (R4)

The world's first tidal lagoon power station in Wales, which was in the Conservative manifesto, has stalled, as the government seems to be baulking at the price. The Swansea Bay lagoon, and five more that would follow around the country, would generate as much electricity as Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. But does the government's commitment to the wave of new nuclear threaten the future of renewable energy in the UK?

Jane Deith hears about the options the government's considered to meet an EU target of providing 15% of energy from renewables by 2020. Does the answer lie in buying in renewable power from Norway, or 'credit transfers' from countries who've hit their targets? Or does the commitment need to renegotiated completely?

With growing pressure to keep a lid on bills, will renewables come second to economic interests?

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Rob Cave.

Holding back the tide: will the UK keep its renewable energy promises?

Charities - Giving And Taking

20101109

20101114

Under the Prime Minister's project for The Big Society, the coalition government wants charities to have much greater involvement in the running of public services.

At the same time, substantial cuts are expected in official regulators which check that charities are competent and honest.

Recent financial scandals have shown the vulnerability of even the most prestigious organisations to systematic fraud.

The Charity Commission admits that a quarter of charities fail to file their accounts on time, covering a combined annual income of £6 billion. The Commission also says that in future allegations of fraud may no longer be automatically investigated.

Meanwhile, other national charities are facing rebellions from lifelong local supporters over planned reorganisations designed to win huge public contracts.

Gerry Northam asks if we can be confident that charities are fit and honest enough to take responsibility from the public sector.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Can charities be trusted to run public services well and honestly? Gerry Northam reports.

The Charity Commission admits that a quarter of charities fail to file their accounts on time, covering a combined annual income of £6 billion.

The Commission also says that in future allegations of fraud may no longer be automatically investigated.

Charities - Giving And Taking

20101114

Under the Prime Minister's project for The Big Society, the coalition government wants charities to have much greater involvement in the running of public services.

At the same time, substantial cuts are expected in official regulators which check that charities are competent and honest.

Recent financial scandals have shown the vulnerability of even the most prestigious organisations to systematic fraud.

The Charity Commission admits that a quarter of charities fail to file their accounts on time, covering a combined annual income of £6 billion. The Commission also says that in future allegations of fraud may no longer be automatically investigated.

Meanwhile, other national charities are facing rebellions from lifelong local supporters over planned reorganisations designed to win huge public contracts.

Gerry Northam asks if we can be confident that charities are fit and honest enough to take responsibility from the public sector.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Can charities be trusted to run public services well and honestly? Gerry Northam reports.

Chemical Weapons

20140107

20140112

As a complex operation continues to destroy the remainder of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, how much will we ever know about the supply routes through which the Assad regime acquired the basic ingredients for its arsenal? Vast quantities of chemicals are traded around the world every day, so what chance do we have of controlling their use by rogue states and terrorists? In the first of a new series, Allan Urry reports from the headquarters of the OPCW - the organisation set up to stop the spread of chemical warfare and which is overseeing the removal and destruction of the Syrian weapons. He also investigates the efforts of terrorist groups including Al Qaeda and al Shabab to develop nerve agents of their own; and examines the global attempts to limit the availability of "dual use" chemicals which are essential in the manufacture of every day products from fertilisers to toothpaste but which can also be turned into powerful explosives for use in IEDs and other bombs.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Child Protection

20160614

20160619 (R4)

The recent deaths of children at the hands of family members have revealed some children's social work departments are still failing children some nine years after the death of Baby P. In some regions the reaction of the Government has been to take social workers out of the hands of councils and put them into independent trusts.

So what's been going wrong - and will the radical solution coming out of Whitehall really work? Jenny Chryss investigates.

Producer: Rob Cave.

What will it take to improve failing children's services - and is change fast enough?

Child Support Agency

20041012

20041017

Jenny Cuffe investigates the Child Support Agency, 10 years old and still failing many of Britain's most vulnerable households.

Jenny Cuffe investigates the Child Support Agency, 10 years old and still failing many of Britain's most vulnerable households. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Jenny Cuffe investigates the Child Support Agency, 10 years old and still failing many of Britain's most vulnerable households. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Childhood Cancer

20140715

20140720

Is red tape stopping the development of new drug treatments?

Every year more than 1,500 UK children are diagnosed with cancer.

For some the outlook is good but for those struck down by one of the rarer cancers, the prognosis can be a bleak one.

Two hundred and fifty children die each year from the disease.

Parents have told File on 4 there is a worrying lack of research into new drugs for childhood cancers, with youngsters sometimes offered treatments which have hardly changed in the last forty years - treatments that can have a limited chance of success and which can cause fatal, serious and life-long side-effects for those lucky enough to survive.

In the battle to get the most up-to-date treatments for children with some of the most aggressive cancers, increasing numbers of families say they are forced to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds to travel abroad to take part in pioneering drugs trials elsewhere.

Meanwhile UK researchers say they face a constant battle for funding. They also warn of a loophole in European regulations which they say stops break-through drugs that have been developed for adult cancer sufferers, being developed to benefit children.

As science takes the treatment and understanding of disease to new levels, Jane Deith asks whether enough is being done to give children a fighting chance.

The Government insists that they must receive alternative full-time education, but many do not.

Children With Me

20170627

Families of children with a severe fatigue condition say they have been accused of abuse.

File on 4 investigates claims that parents whose children suffer from a crippling illness that leaves them sick and permanently exhausted have been falsely accused of child abuse.

Parents of children with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) reveal how they have been investigated and referred for child protection measures on suspicion of a rare form of child abuse known as Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII).

FII, also sometimes known as Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy, is extremely rare and occurs when a parent or carer exaggerates or deliberately causes the symptoms of a child's illness. One charity says FII is being used inappropriately by education and health professionals. We talk to families who claim the stress caused by this accusation has made their children worse.

With doctors divided over the best way to treat children, what's the impact on families?

Reporter: Matthew HillProducer: Nicola Dowling.

Coal Comfort?

20130723

20130728

The amount of coal burned in Britain's power stations rocketed in 2012 with ministers relying on the fuel to help keep the lights on in the next few years.

But coal mining in Britain is now in deep trouble.

Two of the UK's major mining firms have collapsed and a third is in trouble following a huge underground fire in February.

The fire was at Daw Mill in Warwickshire, one of the few remaining deep mines in the UK.

Coming on the back of competition from cheap coal from abroad, the costly fire plunged mine operators UK Coal into financial crisis and has put the pensions of workers at serious risk.

As the government negotiates to try to help pick up the pieces Julian O'Halloran discovers UK Coal's problems come on top of heavy penalties imposed in recent years by safety regulators over fatal accidents underground.

Meanwhile the collapse of two key operators in Scotland has left a trail of unrestored opencast sites which local people say are blighting their areas. They blame national and local government for failing to force the mining companies to clear up their mess.

So what does the future hold for the industry, the miners and local communities. And at what cost to the taxpayer?

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Colleges In Crisis

20151013

20151018 (R4)

With millions of new apprenticeships promised, how will cash-strapped FE colleges deliver?

David Cameron has promised three million new apprenticeships by 2020. But Further Education colleges must deliver them against a background of year-on-year cuts - with the axe likely to fall again in this Autumn's spending review.

The National Audit Office has warned more than a quarter of further education colleges could be deemed financially inadequate by the end of the year. And this month MPs on the Public Accounts Committee will launch an inquiry into the financial sustainability of the sector.

But how far is the crisis also a result of poor planning and excessive borrowing by colleges themselves? A File on 4 investigation finds some institutions taking increasingly desperate measures to make ends meet.

And it asks whether the sector is being adequately policed: when a college faces financial collapse, what safety nets are in place?

Reporter: Fran Abrams Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Construction in Crisis?

20180710

20180715 (R4)

Are construction giants exploiting their suppliers to balance their books?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

In January, Britain's second biggest construction firm, Carillion, spectacularly collapsed under a £1.5 billion debt pile. Thousands of jobs were lost, pensions were put at risk, and around 30 thousand smaller subcontractors, who'd already completed work on projects, were left being owed a total of £2 billion.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called it a 'watershed' moment, and a report by MPs slammed the government contractor's 'rotten corporate culture', claiming those at the top treated suppliers with 'utter contempt'. There was also a stark warning that a similar collapse could happen 'again, and soon'.

But whilst Carillion shone a spotlight on some of the 'reckless' and 'greedy' financial practices used by those at the top of large-scale construction, and left accountants and ministers with questions to answer, has anything changed six months on?

File on 4 investigates an industry treading a financial tightrope - a world of huge turnovers but tiny profit margins, spiralling debts and late payments. Alistair Jackson speaks to subcontractors who say they're still working in 'a climate of fear', and are being pushed to the brink, financially and emotionally, by their bigger construction counterparts.

Reporter: Alistair JacksonProducer: Mick TuckerEditor: Gail Champion.

Construction in Crisis?

20180710

Are construction giants exploiting their suppliers to balance their books?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

In January, Britain's second biggest construction firm, Carillion, spectacularly collapsed under a £1.5 billion debt pile. Thousands of jobs were lost, pensions were put at risk, and around 30 thousand smaller subcontractors, who'd already completed work on projects, were left being owed a total of £2 billion.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called it a 'watershed' moment, and a report by MPs slammed the government contractor's 'rotten corporate culture', claiming those at the top treated suppliers with 'utter contempt'. There was also a stark warning that a similar collapse could happen 'again, and soon'.

But whilst Carillion shone a spotlight on some of the 'reckless' and 'greedy' financial practices used by those at the top of large-scale construction, and left accountants and ministers with questions to answer, has anything changed six months on?

File on 4 investigates an industry treading a financial tightrope - a world of huge turnovers but tiny profit margins, spiralling debts and late payments. Alistair Jackson speaks to subcontractors who say they're still working in 'a climate of fear', and are being pushed to the brink, financially and emotionally, by their bigger construction counterparts.

Reporter: Alistair JacksonProducer: Mick TuckerEditor: Gail Champion.

Continuing Healthcare: The Secret Fund

20141118

20141123 (R4)

Is demand for long term nursing about to tip NHS finances over the edge?

Under the system of "Continuing Healthcare" people with complex medical needs can claim the costs of nursing and medical help to keep them out of hospital. But the system has become mired in controversy with many people claiming they've been denied funding to which they are entitled.

Now there's a deluge of backdated claims against Clinical Commissioning Groups.

File on 4 finds the backlog is creating long delays in new assessments of patients.

And it hears claims the assessments themselves are a postcode lottery, with the chances of being deemed eligible varying wildly between GP commissioning groups.

The programme also hears evidence of NHS commissioners and councils fighting each other not to take responsibility for patients.

Patients and their families are going to the health ombudsman in their hundreds.

18 clinical commissioning groups are already going to end the year in the red, with some threatened with being put in special measures over their finances. Now they owe millions of pounds in backdated claims, plus interest.

Is this creating an incentive to squeeze spending on continuing care? GP commissioners are about to be asked to put £1.9 billion into the pot for new joined-up health and social care services. Do they have the money, or the will, to buy into joined-up care?

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Care Crisis: Can the NHS afford long-term community nursing care for the old and the sick?

Coroners Under Scrutiny

20111115

20111120

Are families getting justice in the coroner's court?

Ann Alexander investigates concerns about the conduct of inquests in England and Wales and asks why there is so much variation in behaviour of coroners and the rigour of their investigations.

Under the current system, it is up to the coroner what evidence he or she relies on, but this can leave families unhappy at the verdict and with little hope of appeal.

The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 included long awaited reforms to the coronial system.

At its centre was the role of Chief Coroner, but the coalition Government said the post was unaffordable and want it scrapped.

So are Ministers missing a chance to ensure judicial oversight, enforce national standards and increase accountability?

Under the current system, it is up to the coroner what evidence he or she relies on, but this can leave families unhappy at the verdict and with little hope of appeal. The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 included long awaited reforms to the coronial system. At its centre was the role of Chief Coroner, but the coalition Government said the post was unaffordable and want it scrapped. So are Ministers missing a chance to ensure judicial oversight, enforce national standards and increase accountability?

With plans for future use of London's Olympic stadium in disarray, Allan Urry asks whether taxpayers' billions will leave a lasting legacy from 2012.

London's successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympics placed great emphasis on the benefits it could create for Britain and its capital city.

Not only should the Games bequeath impressive new sporting facilities to the people of London, but the event and its aftermath was expected to kick-start economic development in the East End -- still one of the least prosperous parts of the country.

Has the forward planning paid off? Controversy and confusion still shrouds the future ownership and operation of London's Olympic stadium.

Despite bids from rival football clubs, the stadium remains in public ownership.

The Olympic village meanwhile has been sold to developers at a loss to taxpayers, and some critics claim a major opportunity to embed a new science and technology research centre on the Olympic park has been squandered.

With mounting pressure on Games organisers and Government to recoup the taxpayers' investment in the Olympics, many Londoners fear that the early promises of economic regeneration for the East End will fail to materialise.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Andy Denwood.

Will Britain's Olympic billions buy a lasting legacy for taxpayers?

Costing The Games

20111113

With plans for future use of London's Olympic stadium in disarray, Allan Urry asks whether taxpayers' billions will leave a lasting legacy from 2012.

London's successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympics placed great emphasis on the benefits it could create for Britain and its capital city. Not only should the Games bequeath impressive new sporting facilities to the people of London, but the event and its aftermath was expected to kick-start economic development in the East End -- still one of the least prosperous parts of the country.

Has the forward planning paid off? Controversy and confusion still shrouds the future ownership and operation of London's Olympic stadium. Despite bids from rival football clubs, the stadium remains in public ownership. The Olympic village meanwhile has been sold to developers at a loss to taxpayers, and some critics claim a major opportunity to embed a new science and technology research centre on the Olympic park has been squandered.

With mounting pressure on Games organisers and Government to recoup the taxpayers' investment in the Olympics, many Londoners fear that the early promises of economic regeneration for the East End will fail to materialise.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Andy Denwood.

Will Britain's Olympic billions buy a lasting legacy for taxpayers?

Council Asset Sales

20130618

20130623

Local authorities across the UK are facing tough decisions as they try to balance their books in the face of unprecedented funding cuts - with many opting to sell land and buildings to reduce spending and bring in much needed capital.

But, one person's white elephant is another's much loved local facility, so the choice of what goes on the market often causes great public resentment.

Jenny Chryss visits four local authorities where announcements about asset sales have caused serious questions to be asked. She finds allegations of decisions taken behind closed doors, sums that don't stack up and property that could end up being mothballed for years to come.

So are councils getting value for money for their tax payers? Or are they out of their depth when they negotiate with the private sector, especially in one of the harshest property markets for years?

And with a major shift in the way councils are audited, is there a danger that mistakes could go unnoticed and unchallenged?

Producer: Rob Cave.

Councils In Crisis

20170321

20170326 (R4)

There's a quiet revolution going on in our Town Halls. With funding slashed, Local Government is tasked with finding new ways to raise money and deliver services, or face failing to comply with its legal obligations. As councils in England are tasked with becoming more self sufficient, File on 4 examines the different approaches councils are taking in an effort to balance the books.

As some invest in commercial property others are spinning off traditional council departments into new companies with commercial divisions. The aim is to plough profits back into services.

But as the programme discovers these plans don't always work out. What happens when there is no profit? As the pressure on adult social care grows, some councils now face the twin struggles of meeting demand, with the need to turn a profit. Is this too much of a gamble in services which can mean the difference between life and death?

Allan Urry investigates the scale of the challenge as local authorities grapple with rising demand, falling income, and new ways of doing business.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Laura Harmes.

Counterfeit Drugs

20041005

20041010

There's been an explosion in counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical drugs which kill thousands in developing countries.

But are the drug companies doing enough to combat it - and why is there so little international regulation of the global market in vital medicines?

With Allan Urry.

There's been an explosion in counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical drugs which kill thousands in developing countries. But are the drug companies doing enough to combat it - and why is there so little international regulation of the global market in vital medicines?

Court Martials

20050301

20050306

Fran Abrams investigates what happens when members of the armed forces are accused of crimes.

Many are sceptical of Britain's court martial system which dates back over 300 years.

Many are sceptical of Britain's courts martial system, which dates back over 300 years.

Fran Abrams investigates what happens when members of the armed forces are accused of crimes. Many are sceptical of Britain's courts martial system, which dates back over 300 years. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Fran Abrams investigates what happens when members of the armed forces are accused of crimes. Many are sceptical of Britain's court martial system which dates back over 300 years. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Credit Rating Agencies

20120228

20120304

Their judgments send markets into freefall. It is alleged that their mistakes led to the Enron collapse and the 2008 financial crisis. They are the credit rating agencies. Who exactly are they and what exactly do they do?

Is this exploration of the complex world of the "Big Three" rating agencies, BBC Chief Economics Correspondent Hugh Pym takes listeners behind the scenes of the world economy. Through revealing interviews with insiders and former analysts at Standard and Poor's (S&P), Moody's and Fitch, along with leading investors and bankers, Hugh tells the story of the world's ongoing financial woes from a new perspective and ask if anything has really changed. S&P managing director John Chambers explains why governments listen to what his company says.

In Italy the agencies - rarely heard about until recently - have suddenly been subject to police raids and front page headlines. Italy, like many European nations, is unhappy about its recent downgrade and campaigner Elio Lannutti is on a mission to break the power of the rating agencies. But is there any truth in the idea that they're acting politically in their judgements on the Eurozone?

Real concern about the "Big Three" began following the collapse, in 2001-2003, of several major multinationals, including Parmalat, dubbed Europe's Enron. Ordinary people who lost money know only too well what it means when the rating agencies get it wrong. When mortgage-backed securities began going bad in 2007, alarm bells rang again. Why had financial products riddled with bad debt been given Triple A ratings?

So is there any way of breaking the "Big Three's" grip on power - or are they an inevitable fact of life in a global financial landscape?

What part is social media playing in the rise in violent crime in the UK?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

Knife crime in England and Wales rose by a fifth last year, with stabbings in London at their highest level for a decade. So far this year, there have been more than 30 fatal stabbings in the capital - with knife injuries amongst young people also on the rise.

What lies behind the rise in violence is complex with cuts in police numbers, use of stop and search, rise in mental health issues and a lack of youth services being cited as contributing factors.

But Britain's most senior police officer, Cressida Dick, also says that social media is also partly to blame, with sites like You Tube, Snapchat and Instagram "allowing young people to go from 'slightly angry with each other' to 'fight' very quickly"

Relatives of victims - and judges in murder trials - also claim a form of hip hop, where rappers make threats to other gangs - and keep scores of killings - is helping fuel the bloodshed. It's called Drill.

When announcing a new strategy to tackle serious violence, the former Home Secretary Amber Rudd asked musicians to have a "positive influence" on young people, and to move away from lyrics which glamorise violence.

File on Four investigates this world of violence playing out online - and on our streets.

What part is social media playing in the rise in violent crime in the UK?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

Knife crime in England and Wales rose by a fifth last year, with stabbings in London at their highest level for a decade. So far this year, there have been more than 30 fatal stabbings in the capital - with knife injuries amongst young people also on the rise.

What lies behind the rise in violence is complex with cuts in police numbers, use of stop and search, rise in mental health issues and a lack of youth services being cited as contributing factors.

But Britain's most senior police officer, Cressida Dick, also says that social media is also partly to blame, with sites like You Tube, Snapchat and Instagram "allowing young people to go from 'slightly angry with each other' to 'fight' very quickly"

Relatives of victims - and judges in murder trials - also claim a form of hip hop, where rappers make threats to other gangs - and keep scores of killings - is helping fuel the bloodshed. It's called Drill.

When announcing a new strategy to tackle serious violence, the former Home Secretary Amber Rudd asked musicians to have a "positive influence" on young people, and to move away from lyrics which glamorise violence.

File on Four investigates this world of violence playing out online - and on our streets.

The urban gangs using children to flood rural Britain with drugs and violence.

Drug dealers from big cities are exploiting thousands of teenagers to traffic Class A drugs to smaller rural towns in what's known as County Lines.

Children - some as young as 9 -are being used as runners to move drugs and cash from cities like London and Manchester hundreds of miles away to other areas of the UK.

It's a massive problem which until recently was being ignored.

File on 4 hears from some of the exploited young people who spent their teens travelling around the UK for months at a time living in drugs dens selling heroin and crack cocaine.

They do this by taking over the homes of vulnerable people - drug users or the elderly - to sell drugs from and then refuse to leave -a practice called 'cuckooing' which can have tragic consequences.

These trafficked children often find themselves trapped by the gangs unable to escape because of the threat of violence or in order to pay back debts.

Are the authorities are doing enough to protect children from being exploited in this way? Or are they being let down by being viewed as criminals themselves rather than the victims of organised crime?

Reporter: Simon CoxProducer: Emma FordeEditor: Gail Champion.

Cut-price Care

20140204

20140209

Ministers have promised a new focus on home care for the elderly and disabled amid concern that 15-minute calls and a low-paid, underskilled workforce are leaving vulnerable people at risk.

From this Spring, inspectors will ask how councils' commissioning practices are affecting the daily lives of those they care for. But with authorities under pressure simultaneously to cut costs, will quality continue to suffer?

Fears have been mounting about whether the basic needs of vulnerable people are being met. The government's human rights watchdog has been pressing the issue, along with tax officials who say many companies are breaching minimum wage legislation.

This week File on 4 reports on the results of its own survey of local authorities in England. Have councils increased spending to keep pace with inflation in the past few years, or have they actually driven down costs? And are they providing even the most basic level of resources that social service chiefs say are needed to keep those in their care safe and well?

The criminal exploitation of the internet poses one of the biggest threats to UK national security.

As organised crime gangs and terrorists use it to communicate and plan their activities, the police and security agencies are turning to hacking to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence.

In the first of a new series, File on 4 looks at the covert techniques being used to get beyond the firewall of a suspect's PC.

But are the tactics legal? One leading expert says the rules governing interception are inconsistent and on occasions, misinterpreted by the police.

Reporter Stephen Grey also examines the way British companies are helping to proliferate this hi-tech snooping to countries with questionable human rights and which use it to monitor political opponents and dissidents.

And, with the Ministry of Defence developing its defences against sophisticated international attacks how vulnerable is the UK to "cyber warfare".

Why did a Chinese state telecommunications company briefly 'hijack' most of the world's internet traffic one day last year?

Producer: David Lewis

Reporter: Stephen Grey.

Cyber Spies: computer hacking and the state.

: computer hacking and the state.

The criminal exploitation of the internet poses one of the biggest threats to UK national security. As organised crime gangs and terrorists use it to communicate and plan their activities, the police and security agencies are turning to hacking to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence.

In the first of a new series, File on 4 looks at the covert techniques being used to get beyond the firewall of a suspect's PC. But are the tactics legal? One leading expert says the rules governing interception are inconsistent and on occasions, misinterpreted by the police.

And, with the Ministry of Defence developing its defences against sophisticated international attacks how vulnerable is the UK to "cyber warfare". Why did a Chinese state telecommunications company briefly 'hijack' most of the world's internet traffic one day last year?

Cyber Spies

20110925

: computer hacking and the state.

Danger At Work

20110308

20110313

Following the recent first conviction and hefty fine under new Corporate Manslaughter legislation, the UK's health and safety regime has been hailed a success. Falling death and accident rates appear to confirm an improving trend.

But the families of some of those seriously injured and killed in workplace accidents say too many employers are still gettings off too lightly even when they've been found responsible for serious breaches of health and safety legislation.

As the government proposes lighter regulation of workplaces and the Health and Safety Executive faces deep cuts, Morland Sanders asks whether protection for employees will be put at risk.

After the first UK corporate manslaughter conviction, File on 4 examines safety at work.

Following the recent first conviction and hefty fine under new Corporate Manslaughter legislation, the UK's health and safety regime has been hailed a success.

Falling death and accident rates appear to confirm an improving trend.

Danger At Work

20110313

Following the recent first conviction and hefty fine under new Corporate Manslaughter legislation, the UK's health and safety regime has been hailed a success. Falling death and accident rates appear to confirm an improving trend.

But the families of some of those seriously injured and killed in workplace accidents say too many employers are still gettings off too lightly even when they've been found responsible for serious breaches of health and safety legislation.

As the government proposes lighter regulation of workplaces and the Health and Safety Executive faces deep cuts, Morland Sanders asks whether protection for employees will be put at risk.

After the first UK corporate manslaughter conviction, File on 4 examines safety at work.

Deadly Drugs

20131029

20131103

What's behind the rise in deaths among those who have taken the drug ecstasy?

What's behind the recent death of a clubgoer in Manchester who's believed to have taken a bad dose of the drug ecstasy? He's one of 12 in the area in the last year who've died after using illegal stimulants with toxic new additives, prompting the Government's Chief Medical Officer to issue a formal alert. Police are concerned organised crime is hiring backstreet chemists to cook up their own toxic amphetamines. Allan Urry investigates.

Producer: Carl Johnston.

Deadly Hospitals?

20140225

20140302

Each year the number of deaths in every hospital in England is recorded and compared with national averages for the range of patients and conditions treated. The results are published by a company called Dr Foster in The Hospital Guide.

The Guide has a solid reputation. Its findings are studied and used by leaders of the NHS. Dr Foster's statistical expert says that high mortality statistics should act as a 'smoke alarm' raising investigation of standards at a hospital. The Care Quality Commission praises Dr Foster's "powerful analysis of hospital trusts" and the Health Secretary says: "We expect all hospitals to examine this data carefully and take action wherever services need to improve".

But some leading statisticians question the reliability of mortality statistics as an indication of clinical quality. And they believe that many pockets of poor practice go undetected in hospitals with good mortality scores.

Critics also see the publication of such data as an invitation to the press to distort the available evidence by calculating numbers of 'needless deaths' within the NHS. Such calculations have in fact been produced and then given widespread publicity. The NHS Medical Director calls them "clinically meaningless and academically reckless". But they continue to make the front pages.

Gerry Northam reports from hospitals which have "worryingly high" mortality statistics according to Dr Foster and asks how much this really shows about their quality of care.

Producer : Ian Muir-Cochrane

Editor : David Ross.

But some leading statisticians question the reliability of mortality statistics as an indication of clinical quality. They argue that publication in a Guide gives NHS managers the incentive to game the system by adjusting the collection of mortality data to lower their scores in the Guide. And they believe that many pockets of poor practice go undetected in hospitals with good mortality scores.

Default By Design?

20140121

20140126

Last month a report by a government advisor, Lawrence Tomlinson, accused The Royal Bank of Scotland of forcing some viable businesses into insolvency. The Bank has denied Tomlinson's claims and has asked a leading law firm to carry out an independent investigation. With their findings due to be published shortly, File on 4 assesses the evidence.

Jane Deith speaks to families who claim their companies were unfairly forced to the wall and their lives ruined as a result of the actions of the Bank's Global Restructuring Group.

Billed as the equivalent of an intensive care unit designed to help nurse distressed businesses back to health, did the Global Restructuring Group kill some of them off instead? And was RBS able to profit as a result?

With a rising tide of complaints against the taxpayer-owned bank, the Financial Conduct Authority is beginning its own investigation.

So, was RBS being predatory or prudent?

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Last month a report by a government advisor, Lawrence Tomlinson, accused The Royal Bank of Scotland of forcing some viable businesses into insolvency. The Bank has denied Tomlinson's claims and has asked a leading firm of accountants to carry out an independent investigation. With their findings due to be published shortly, File on 4 assesses the evidence.

Degrees Of Deception

20180116

How thousands of people in the UK have obtained fake and worthless degrees.

A complex network of online universities sells degrees, doctorates and professional qualifications - for a price. Some of the buyers have gone on to trade on these credentials, including them on their CVs and gaining jobs in public life.

Others, after making an initial purchase, were blackmailed by the sellers, who threatened to expose them unless they paid out huge additional sums of money.

Despite criminal investigations in numerous countries, why is there still a thriving trade in dubious qualifications and are institutions and companies taking the issue seriously enough?

It's estimated there are around 620,000 people in England with dementia. Prime minister David Cameron says fighting the disease is a personal priority and doctors in England have been encouraged to proactively identify people with early stage dementia.

The PM says that an early diagnosis allows families to prepare for the care of a relative, but others argue there's no treatment for such a diagnosis and no robust evidence to justify a process that might lead to harm. Deborah Cohen hears from doctors who are concerned the drive to raise diagnosis rates is leading to people being misdiagnosed.

The Government has also pledged millions of pounds to help make England "the best place in the world to undertake research into dementia and other neuro-degenerative diseases". Scientists leading the research say they are making progress to find tests which could identify people at risk from the disease and develop a cure. But other researchers say money is being wasted because current directions in drug development are following the same path as those of the past which have ended in failure.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Has a drive to increase the diagnosis of dementia and find a cure been effective?

Diabetes

20120226

New NHS research has revealed the shocking toll of preventable deaths caused by just one medical condition. Diabetes - in which the body fails to control blood sugar levels safely - is causing 24,000 needless deaths a year in England alone.

It's not just the old and middle-aged who are at risk. Young women with diabetes are 6 to 9 times more likely to die than their age group overall. And many more young people who don't die will develop life threatening diseases later due to failure to manage their blood sugar.

Badly controlled diabetes can lead to kidney disease, heart conditions, or blindness. It's also the cause of 5,000 amputations a year, mainly of legs or feet. With around 3 million diagnosed sufferers known to the health service, diabetes is said to be costing the NHS £9 billion a year, about a tenth of the total health budget.

Julian O'Halloran reveals why, despite Government pledges, it's so difficult to get to grips with the disease. And, with the incidence of diabetes rocketing, he asks whether the NHS can cope.

Producer - Gail Champion.

Despite pledges to tackle diabetes, why do 24,000 people die needlessly each year?

Dirty Money Uk

20151006

20151011 (R4)

What does the theft of a billion dollars from Europe's poorest country have to do with a run-down housing estate in Edinburgh? Moldova was robbed of 12% of its GDP by the bafflingly complex financial scam uncovered earlier this year. It involved a web of companies in the ex-Soviet country, with the money thought to have ended up in Russia via Latvian banks.

But the trail also goes via a number of UK-registered companies, including one based in the district of north Edinburgh made famous by "Trainspotting", the novel about heroin addicts. It's not the only example of Eastern European fraudsters using the UK to launder their dirty money in this way. So why is it allowed to happen? Why is it so easy to set up an opaque shell company in the UK? And what is the role of so-called company formation agents? Tim Whewell investigates

Reporter: Tim Whewell Producer: Simon Maybin.

The role of British companies in a billion-dollar Moldovan bank scam.

Dirty Secrets

20141111

20141116 (R4)

The UK generates nearly 300 million tonnes of waste every year. That's rich pickings for criminals who illegally dump what we don't want, damaging the environment and threatening our health. The black market in rubbish is said to be worth a billion pounds. With such huge sums at stake there's concern that organised crime is increasing its grip on the sector. Allan Urry examines the efforts of Britain's Environment Agencies to try to hold the line. But it's tough going at a time when cuts have led to a reduction in staffing.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Carl Johnston.

The UK generates nearly 300 million tonnes of waste every year. That's rich pickings for criminals who illegally dump what we don't want, damaging the environment and threatening our health. The black market in rubbish is said to be worth a billion pounds. With such huge sums at stake there's concern that organised crime is increasing its grip on the sector. Allan Urry examines the efforts of Britain's Environment Agencies to try to hold the line. But it's tough going at a time when cuts have lead to a reduction in staffing.

Disclosing The Truth

Disclosing The Truth

20180227

How are disclosure of evidence failures affecting justice in the magistrates' courts?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

The Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have been accused of failing to disclose important information in several recent high profile sexual assault cases.

But Allan Urry asks if the current disquiet about disclosure should also extend to the Magistrates' Courts where almost all criminal cases start off. Some defence lawyers say evidence that could be helpful to their clients' cases is being with-held and are they're concerned that justice isn't always being served.

Reporter: Allan UrryProducer: Alys HarteEditor: Gail Champion.

Disposing Of Clinical Waste

20031118

20031123

Allan Urry investigates the system for disposing of the dangerous clinical waste produced by Britain's hospitals.

Could illegal and unsafe practices pose a danger to public health?

Doctors In Charge

20110301

20110306

Success of the Government's proposed NHS reforms rests on England's family doctors.

GPs will be responsible for commissioning treatment for their patients.

But how much do we know about the effectiveness and value for money offered by doctors in General Practice? Gerry Northam reports.

Family doctors are key to Government health reforms, but how efficient are they?

Success of the Government's proposed NHS reforms rests on England's family doctors. GPs will be responsible for commissioning treatment for their patients. But how much do we know about the effectiveness and value for money offered by doctors in General Practice? Gerry Northam reports.

Success of the Government's proposed NHS reforms in England rests on family doctors. GPs will be responsible for commissioning treatment for their patients, and managing the £80 billion NHS budget. But how much do we know about the effectiveness and value for money offered by doctors in General Practice? Gerry Northam reports.

Doctors In Charge

20110306

Family doctors are key to Government health reforms, but how efficient are they?

Drug Danger Distraction?

20100126

20100131

Investigating concerns about the way a bestselling antipsychotic drug was marketed.

A British drug company is being sued by more than 15,000 people in the United States who claim its bestselling antipsychotic drug caused severe weight gain, diabetes and other serious medical conditions. Ann Alexander investigates concerns about the way it was marketed and asks how much the public should be told about the drugs they take.

A British drug company is being sued by more than 15,000 people in the United States who claim its bestselling antipsychotic drug caused severe weight gain, diabetes and other serious medical conditions.

Ann Alexander investigates concerns about the way it was marketed and asks how much the public should be told about the drugs they take.

Dying On The Streets

Dying On The Streets

20180213

The homeless being denied end of life care.

File on 4 hears the stories of the terminally ill left to die in hostels and on the street.

An estimated 4751 people will sleep rough tonight in England. Many are seriously, even terminally ill.

If you're living on the streets, who will care for you when the end comes?

File on 4 hears from homeless people living with life threatening illness, who can't find a regular bed for the night, let alone a place where their medical needs can be met.

A bed in a nursing home or hospice is usually not available to them. Hostels are left to do their best for the dying. But they say they aren't trained or equipped to give people a dignified death.

We speak to those battling to get homeless people basic medical care. And hear how when services fail, people are left to die on the street.

Reporter: Jane DeithProducer: Emma FordeEditor: Gail Champion.

Why does life on the street also mean death on the street for some rough sleepers?

Ebola

20141021

20141026 (R4)

Simon Cox investigates why it took so long for the world to wake up to the threat of ebola

Ebola is now regarded as an international threat to peace and security, according to the World Health Organisation. Yet, when the WHO was first warned of an unprecedented outbreak, the organisation said it was "still relatively small."

Now the UK has asked for volunteers to travel to West Africa to try to bring Ebola under control. Thousands of American troops are also flying out to the region. But could all this have been avoided? Simon Cox asks why it took so long for the world to wake up to the threat posed by Ebola? He also investigates the treatments that are now, belatedly, being developed - treatments that have existed for decades. Vaccines and other drugs are being rushed into production at an unprecedented pace, by-passing the usual safety controls. However, all predictions are that many more people will die before the disease is brought under control. Even then, will it become endemic?

Reporter: Simon Cox

Producer: John Murphy.

is now regarded as an international threat to peace and security, according to the World Health Organisation. Yet, when the WHO was first warned of an unprecedented outbreak, the organisation said it was "still relatively small."

Egypt's Missing Millions

20110315

20110320

File On 4.

Banks and fraud squads across the world are beginning the task of tracing a vast fortune stolen from the Egyptian people by members of the Mubarak regime.

Some estimates have suggested the missing money could run into many billions of pounds.

Ministers, businessmen and members of the president's family have deposited vast sums in Swiss bank accounts and bought luxury properties in London.

Where did all this wealth come from? How was the Egyptian government able to continue abusing its power for three decades? And could the regime's business partners in multinational corporations really have been blind to what was happening?

Fran Abrams travels to Egypt to investigate and to assess the chances of the money being recovered.

File On 4. Banks and fraud squads across the world are beginning the task of tracing a vast fortune stolen from the Egyptian people by members of the Mubarak regime. Some estimates have suggested the missing money could run into many billions of pounds.

Ministers, businessmen and members of the president's family have deposited vast sums in Swiss bank accounts and bought luxury properties in London. Where did all this wealth come from? How was the Egyptian government able to continue abusing its power for three decades? And could the regime's business partners in multinational corporations really have been blind to what was happening?

Egypt's Missing Millions

20110320

File On 4. Banks and fraud squads across the world are beginning the task of tracing a vast fortune stolen from the Egyptian people by members of the Mubarak regime. Some estimates have suggested the missing money could run into many billions of pounds.

Ministers, businessmen and members of the president's family have deposited vast sums in Swiss bank accounts and bought luxury properties in London. Where did all this wealth come from? How was the Egyptian government able to continue abusing its power for three decades? And could the regime's business partners in multinational corporations really have been blind to what was happening?

Fran Abrams travels to Egypt to investigate and to assess the chances of the money being recovered.

But in January this year proceedings against two key figures in the case collapsed, leaving dozens of families asking if they will ever get justice.

While relatives demand a public inquiry into what happened in the six Welsh care homes at the centre of the case, 12.5 metric tonnes of unpublished evidence lie in a Pontypool warehouse.

Experts say prosecutors too often face insurmountable difficulties in bringing people accused of neglecting the vulnerable to justice. Several high-profile figures are now calling for a change in the law: one barrister and academic tells File on 4 current legislation gives greater protection against cruelty to animals than against people.

With other major scandals such as those at Winterbourne View and Mid-Staffordshire still fresh in the public mind, Fran Abrams asks if the justice system is fit for purpose when it comes to dealing with abuse and neglect.

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Elderly Patients In Hospital - Who Cares?

20171010

Who cares? Are elderly patients being left to suffer and die from neglect in hospital?

How well do NHS hospitals look after their elderly patients? Allan Urry investigates concerns about a lack of basic care. Is it proving fatal for some? Why are bedsores, repeated falls, malnutrition and dehydration still featuring among the complaints of families who've lost loved ones? The programme also assesses how well the NHS responds when mistakes are made.

Reporter: Allan UrryProducer: Nicola Dowling.

Election Fraud

20140311

20140316

With local authority elections due in May, Allan Urry investigates claims of organised vote rigging.

Earlier this year, the Electoral Commission identified 16 areas in England with wards that are at particular risk of electoral fraud.

File on 4 visits some of those towns and cities and hears first hand evidence of intimidation and the widespread abuse of postal votes - including allegations that some people are being pressured into handing over their vote to party activists.

A candidate who successfully took a court case against his opponent after narrowly losing an election, says some campaigners have lost sight of what is right and wrong.

And a judge who sits in election fraud cases attacks the system as "shambolic" and "wide open to abuse".

So is our voting system too vulnerable to fraud? Are the authorities doing all they can to root out corruptions? And is it time to end postal voting on demand?

Producers: Emma Forde and Sally Chesworth.

File on 4 visits some of those towns and cities and hears first hand evidence of intimidation and the widespread abuse of postal votes.

One MP tells the programme that many of his constituents have complained of being pressured into handing over their vote to party activists.

And a high court judge attacks the system as "shambolic" and "wide open to abuse".

Electricity Prices: A Shock To The System?

20131001

20131006

What will the government's plan to produce more low-carbon energy do to our fuel bills?

The Government wants more wind power and nuclear energy to supply our electricity, but how well is it delivering that plan? In Scotland where conditions for renewable sources are good, there's been a rush to cash in on generous subsidies for wind farms. But the infrastructure can't cope so companies are also being paid handsomely to dump the energy they produce. And, deals which include subsidies are being concluded behind closed doors between Government officials and the nuclear industry for a new generation of power stations. What's this going to add to our fuel bills? Allan Urry investigates.

Producer: Rob Cave.

Energy Prices

20111009

Household gas and electricity bills are set to soar, leaving millions at risk of 'fuel poverty' and vulnerable to cold as winter approaches.

The government's hopes for recovery in UK manufacturing industry are also threatened in key sectors by rocketing energy prices.

Some small and medium-sized businesses have already been pushed into liquidation and there are fears that others will follow.

Politically, attention is now focusing on the behaviour of the so-called Big Six energy companies which supply 99% of the gas and electricity used in British homes.

The regulator OFGEM accuses them of 'complex and unfair pricing policies'.

It wants to increase competition by making it simpler for customers to decide to switch suppliers.

It finds that prices go up like a rocket but fall like a feather.

And it wants greater disclosure of corporate accounting systems, to check for excessive profits.

Gerry Northam examines claims from some industry insiders that the Big Six are behaving as the banks did before the credit crunch - threatening economic recovery while believing they are too big to fail.

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

Are households and businesses being overcharged for gas and electricity?

European Funding

20120717

20120722

Why are areas of Britain losing millions of pounds of regeneration money from Europe?

The EU has allocated millions of pounds in grants to help our towns and cities regenerate. So why are some complaining they can't get their hands on the cash? European rules mean Britain has to put up an equal amount of money. But, as Allan Urry reveals, cuts at Westminster and in town halls around the country mean that some projects have either stalled or been abandoned because no "matched funding" is available. Critics of the Government say up to a billion pounds of regeneration money will end up in the Treasury's coffers or being returned to Brussels. Yet, it supposed to be supporting economic development in the English regions which the Government has argued will drive growth. That's what's happened in Germany and other EU countries. Have they made better use of funds from Brussels to help narrow the gap between their rich and poor regions? Now, as Europe struggles with austerity, does the European Commission need to re-think its system for allocating cash, and should the Coalition Government in Britain do more to deliver growth?

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

European Funding: Missing A Match

20120717

20120722

Europe's Missing Millions

20101130

20101205

As European member states make spending cuts should more be done to prevent mismanagement of subsidies at EU level? Angus Stickler tracks how money has gone astray across the 27 member states and asks why funding continues in regions with proven records of mismanagement and fraud.

Across the EU expensive projects lie unused and unfit for purpose, despite receiving funding of millions of Euros.

The EU has created its own anti-fraud agency, OLAF, to stop these abuses, but are critics right when they claim it's underfunded and ineffective?

File on 4/Bureau of Investigative Journalism co-production.

Europe's Missing Millions

20101205

Over the last seven years, the European Union has paid out billions of Euros in grants designed to revitalise Europe's poorest regions.

But an investigation for File on 4 has revealed the extent to which these payments are open to widespread fraud, abuse and mismanagement.

Angus Stickler tracks how money has gone astray across the 27 member states and asks why funding continues in regions with proven records of corruption and fraud. Throughout the EU there is evidence that money has been wasted or even stolen. In Southern Italy, money has gone to Mafia-controlled construction companies and bogus energy projects. Across the EU expensive projects lie unused and unfit for purpose, despite receiving funding of millions of Euros.

The EU has created its own anti-fraud agency, OLAF, to stop these abuses, but are critics right when they claim it's underfunded and ineffective?

The UK is the largest bilateral donor to Rwanda, giving around £83m a year. President Paul Kagame is praised by the British government for bringing stability and economic growth to a country torn apart by the genocide in 1994. But recently it was revealed that two opponents of the Rwandan regime living in London had been warned by police they were in danger of being assassinated by their own government. Other Rwandans living in the UK have been threatened too. The Rwandan High Commission say the allegations are baseless.

Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe also receives substantial amounts of British aid but via charities and other non-governmental organisations. However an exile involved in the ex-patriot community and who had attended Movement for Democratic Change meetings has been revealed as a former torturer. Far from rejecting his past, its alleged he has until recently been on the pay-roll of the notorious Central Intelligence Organisation - leaving the Zimbabwe community scared and in disarray.

Jenny Cuffe asks whether in the light of such claims the British government should question its aid policy.

Why are some Rwandans in the UK living in fear of their government? Jenny Cuffe reports.

The UK is the largest bilateral donor to Rwanda, giving around £83m a year.

President Paul Kagame is praised by the British government for bringing stability and economic growth to a country torn apart by the genocide in 1994.

But recently it was revealed that two opponents of the Rwandan regime living in London had been warned by police they were in danger of being assassinated by their own government.

Other Rwandans living in the UK have been threatened too.

The Rwandan High Commission say the allegations are baseless.

Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe also receives substantial amounts of British aid but via charities and other non-governmental organisations.

However an exile involved in the ex-patriot community and who had attended Movement for Democratic Change meetings has been revealed as a former torturer.

Far from rejecting his past, its alleged he has until recently been on the pay-roll of the notorious Central Intelligence Organisation - leaving the Zimbabwe community scared and in disarray.

Exiles In Fear

20110807

Why are some Rwandans in the UK living in fear of their government? Jenny Cuffe reports.

Manveen Rana uncovers hate speech, sectarianism and even support for Jihad in some of Britain's Urdu language newspapers, radio stations and TV channels.

While we are often told the internet and social media have accelerated the fermentation of extremist ideas, File on 4 reveals how widely-available 'old media' is also disseminating sectarian and anti-Semitic messages, as well as support for Pakistani militant groups, through newspapers and TV channels accessible in Muslim communities across the UK.

A common theme is content about the Ahmadiyyah community, who are considered by some Muslims to be heretics. A persecuted community in Pakistan, such violence came to the UK in 2016 when shop keeper Asad Shah was fatally stabbed by a man accusing him of blasphemy. Despite this shocking sectarian murder, British Urdu media continues to publish insulting material targeting the Ahmadiyyah community - included campaigns calling on readers to boycott Ahmadi-made goods.

But at what point do these media outlets cross the line from bad taste to criminal behaviour? And are media regulators doing enough to prevent and punish the offenders?

While we are often told the internet and social media have accelerated the fermentation of extremist ideas, File on 4 reveals how widely-available 'old media' is also disseminating sectarian, anti-Semitic and even violent messages through newspapers and TV channels accessible in Muslim communities across the UK.

But at what point do these media outlets cross the line from bad taste to criminal behaviour? And are media regulators doing enough to prevent and punish the offenders?

Producers: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sajid IqbalEditor: Gail Champion.

Failed By Forensics?

20180612

20180617 (R4)

Are failings in forensic science leading to more miscarriages of justice?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

File on 4 investigates mounting concern about forensic science in England and Wales - hearing the cases of two men who almost went to prison for rape because the police failed to properly investigate crucial evidence on mobile phones.

Forensic science is increasingly important both in finding criminals and successfully prosecuting them. It's used for everything from investigating fires like Grenfell to huge terrorist cases. And it covers checking phone records, CCTV, DNA and fingerprinting. It's painstaking, time-consuming work but it can often turn up vital evidence.

The programme hears that a criminal investigation is underway into one company providing forensic evidence, another has gone bust and a third has had to be financially bailed out. Meanwhile some police forces carry out their own forensic work but incredibly some do so, without the official accreditation that forensic companies are expected to obtain. And the regulator says she can't do anything about it as the Government won't give her the powers she needs.

Presenter: Melanie AbbottProducer: Anna MeiselEditor: Andrew Smith.

Fair Game

20160531

20160605 (R4)

Should English football clubs take a closer look at who they turn to for investment?

English football clubs enjoy a high profile around the world, leading to many companies vying to do business with them. But have some football clubs entered into financial deals with companies with questionable backgrounds?

File on 4 explores whether clubs are vulnerable to companies and individuals who use the reputation of English football to lend credibility to their activities. But what due diligence do clubs undertake when securing such deals? Allan Urry looks at the relationship between soccer and sponsorship. He hears from some of the victims who've lost money, because they believed those who do business with the biggest names in football, could be trusted.

Reporter - Allan Urry

Producer - Emma Forde.

Faith, Hope And... Tax Avoidance

20130709

20130714

While the G8 summit of world leaders has agreed a global deal to ensure big business pays its dues, concerns about tax avoidance go wider.

A group of MPs has just examined the case of the Cup Trust, a charity which tried to claim £46 million in tax relief but spent just £55,000 on good works. The Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Margaret Hodge, concluded the Trust's purpose "was to avoid tax".

And she said this wasn't an isolated case. The Committee heard that HMRC investigates around 300 charities a year over concerns about tax fraud.

In this week's File on 4 Fran Abrams examines the blurred lines around charities and tax.

What happens when genuine charities find 'donations' are designed so the donors can claim Gift Aid payments from the tax man? And how easy is it to register a charity whose main aim is actually tax avoidance?

Is the 160 year-old Charity Commission up to the job of policing 21st Century charities?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

And she said this wasn't an isolated case. The Committee heard that HMRC investigates 300 similar schemes a year.

Falling Short - Fake News and Financial Markets

20180626

Is financial fake news damaging business? Geoff White reports.

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

If fake news is poisoning public debate, then what is it doing to the financial markets?

Short-sellers - investors who bet on a company's shares falling, not rising- have a mixed reputation. For some they play a vital role, exposing weak companies - and can make big profits as a result. But others accuse them of using fake information to deliberately damage otherwise healthy businesses.

File on 4 looks into the hidden world of the short sellers, the researchers who give them the information to make their bets and the companies who fall victim to what they publish. Are the shorters overstepping the stock market's rules on fairness and transparency?

Reporter: Geoff WhiteProducer: Rob CaveEditor: Gail Champion.

Falling Short - Fake News And Financial Markets

20180626

20180701 (R4)

Is financial fake news damaging business? Geoff White reports.

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

If fake news is poisoning public debate, then what is it doing to the financial markets?

Short-sellers - investors who bet on a company's shares falling, not rising- have a mixed reputation. For some they play a vital role, exposing weak companies - and can make big profits as a result. But others accuse them of using fake information to deliberately damage otherwise healthy businesses.

File on 4 looks into the hidden world of the short sellers, the researchers who give them the information to make their bets and the companies who fall victim to what they publish. Are the shorters overstepping the stock market's rules on fairness and transparency?

Reporter: Geoff WhiteProducer: Rob CaveEditor: Gail Champion.

Family Annihilation

20120311

In the last two months, four fathers have killed their partners, children and themselves. File on 4 investigates what drives these men to take such drastic action.

The programme talks to relatives, expert forensic psychiatrists and academics to try to find out why they became so-called 'family annihilators'.

It looks at new research into such cases which points to a link to unemployment rates and the levels of gun ownership. It will also ask whether authorities like the health service and police could do more to watch for signs that men are a risk to their families and asks whether new gun licence measures are working.

Presenter: Jane Deith

Producer: Paul Grant.

What drives fathers to kill their families and themselves? Jane Deith investigates.

Flooding: Best Laid Plans?

20140211

20140216

Flights grounded. Trains cancelled. Roads flooded. It's becoming a familiar story every winter as Britain's transport systems are battered by the weather. While rainfall this winter has been unusually high, has some of the disruption that we've seen been caused by a lack of strategic planning and routine maintenance? Should a flooded river have been able to knock out power supplies at Gatwick, catching airport authorities by surprise? Were the drainage systems adequate on some of the railway embankments that collapsed, leaving passengers stranded? Allan Urry investigates why our infrastructure is struggling to cope with the storms and asks whether bad planning has made a bad situation worse?

Producer: Rob Cave.

Flights grounded. Trains cancelled. Roads flooded. It's becoming a familiar story every winter as Britain's transport systems are battered by the weather. Allan Urry investigates why our infrastructure is struggling to cope with the storms. While rainfall has been unusually high, was some of the disruption caused by a lack of strategic planning and routine maintenance? Should a flooded river have been able to knock out power supplies at Gatwick, catching airport authorities by surprise? Were the drainage systems adequate on some of the railway embankments that collapsed, leaving passengers stranded? And we revisit the Somerset Levels a year after locals were promised their rivers would be dredged to help prevent further flooding. How much did the failure to deliver on those pledges make a bad situation worse?

Food Fraud

20140128

20140202

A year after the horsemeat scandal there are calls for a new police force to fight food fraud amid concerns that organised crime is increasingly targeting the sector because there are huge profits to be made at the expense of the consumer.

Prof Chris Elliott, who was commissioned by the government to investigate the UK's most serious food scandal in recent years, says criminals are committing more food fraud because there's little risk of detection or serious penalties if they're caught.

Gerry Northam investigates the extent of food fraud across the UK and reports from Brussels on whether the EU has learned enough lessons from last year's scandal.

Producer: Carl Johnston.

Foundation Hospitals: An Acute Crisis?

20101019

20101024

The drive to make acute hospitals more prudent and independent through foundation trust status was meant to usher in a new era of prudent spending for the whole of the NHS.

But now the process is faltering, as a series of foundation trusts hit grave financial, managerial or care quality problems.

And though the NHS was meant to be ring-fenced from the deep cuts now hitting the rest of the public sector, a number foundation hospital trusts are facing bed closures and serious job losses.

In some cases emergency measures have been adopted to turn failing trusts around by bringing in highly paid crisis managers.

But these have alienated staff and unions and seemingly pushed some hospitals further into the red.

So where does this leave the Government's plans for all hospitals to be run by foundation trusts? Julian O'Halloran reports.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Why should we want more foundation hospitals when so many are in financial trouble?

In some cases emergency measures have been adopted to turn failing trusts around by bringing in highly paid crisis managers. But these have alienated staff and unions and seemingly pushed some hospitals further into the red.

Foundation Hospitals: An Acute Crisis?

20101024

The drive to make acute hospitals more prudent and independent through foundation trust status was meant to usher in a new era of prudent spending for the whole of the NHS.

But now the process is faltering, as a series of foundation trusts hit grave financial, managerial or care quality problems.

And though the NHS was meant to be ring-fenced from the deep cuts now hitting the rest of the public sector, a number foundation hospital trusts are facing bed closures and serious job losses.

In some cases emergency measures have been adopted to turn failing trusts around by bringing in highly paid crisis managers. But these have alienated staff and unions and seemingly pushed some hospitals further into the red.

So where does this leave the Government's plans for all hospitals to be run by foundation trusts? Julian O'Halloran reports.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Why should we want more foundation hospitals when so many are in financial trouble?

Fraud: The Thin Blue Line

20141007

20141012 (R4)

The nature of crime is changing, with much of it now happening online, sparking growing concern that official figures fail to account for potentially millions of fraud offences. Experts say frauds involving plastic debit and credit cards are among the crimes left out of the data. So just how reliable - and useful - are the statistics?

At the same time, police economic crime units, which investigate fraud, have become increasingly stretched, partly as a result of government budget cuts. BBC Home Affairs correspondent, Danny Shaw, asks whether law enforcement has kept pace with the changing face of fraud and if there are enough resources to tackle financial crime and bring fraudsters to justice.

Painkillers in sport - the legal doping risking the long-term health of athletes.

Painkillers in sport: a form of legal doping or an excessive reliance on medication that puts the long-term health of athletes in jeopardy?

With evidence of widespread use of over the counter anti-inflammatories to support performance or recovery at amateur level, File on 4 looks asks if there is enough regulation of painkilling drugs in sport across the ranks.

About half of players competing at the past three World Cups routinely took non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, according to research carried out by FIFA's former chief medical officer, Prof Jiri Dvorak.

For him, this clearly constitutes the abuse of drugs in football, one which risks player's health and could "potentially" have life-threatening implications.

But is the sports community taking these warnings seriously enough? Professor Dvorak first warned about the long-term implications of players misusing painkillers in 2012 - has anything changed?

Industry insiders their concerns about pain killer use in professional sport - including one former rugby international who says he developed serious long-term health problems as a result.

And with evidence that even paracetamol can have a performance enhancing effect, how can sports regulators control substances that can give a competitive advantage but are widely available over the counter?

With tales of athletes receiving pain relief in order to compete with broken toes or even a fractured bone in their back, we explore the lengths some may go to in order to stay in the game and ask if some sports are risking long-term harm by chasing short-term goals.

Producer: Alys HarteReporter: Beth McLeod.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19880126]

(Details tomorrow at 4. 05pm)

Genome: [r4 Bd=19880127]

Is revolution stirring in the Occupied Territories?

Hugh Prysor-Jones reports on the extent of the challenge to Israel's authority.

A new series of the programme that covers major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910130]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910212]

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer Clare Hastings

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Producer: Clare Hastings

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910213]

Reporter Roisin McAuley.

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910219]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Helen Boaden. Producer Liz Camey

Contributors

Reporter: Helen Boaden.

Producer: Liz Camey

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910220]

Reporter Helen Boaden.

Contributors

Reporter: Helen Boaden.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910226]

Only six years after the last great famine, over seven-and-a-half million

Sudanese are at risk of starvation. Is the Sudanese government as much to blame as poor harvests? Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910227]

Reporter Stuart Simon.

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910305]

When Nelson Mandela was freed a year ago, he called upon the black youth to reject the slogan 'Liberation Now -

Education Later'. How have they responded?

Mandla Themba reports from Soweto on the prospects for peaceful change among a generation reared on militancy and violence. Producer John Drury

Contributors

Unknown: Nelson Mandela

Unknown: Mandla Themba

Producer: John Drury

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910306]

Mandia Thema reports from Soweto on the prospects for peaceful change among a generation reared on militancy and violence.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910312]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910313]

Reporter Roisin McAuley

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910319]

A focus on major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter

Helen Boaden.

Producer Clare Hastings

Contributors

Unknown: Helen Boaden.

Producer: Clare Hastings

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910320]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910326]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Dorothy Allen. Producer Liz Carney

Contributors

Reporter: Dorothy Allen.

Producer: Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910327]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910402]

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910403]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910409]

Reporter Robin Lustig. Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Reporter: Robin Lustig.

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910410]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910416]

Reporter Gerry Northam. Producer Clare Hastings

Contributors

Reporter: Gerry Northam.

Producer: Clare Hastings

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910417]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910423]

Major issues and events at home and abroad.

Producer David Ross

Contributors

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910424]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910521]

The return of the documentary series. The 'men in the middle' who really matter in modern soccer are not referees but agents.

Stuart Simon reports on how they bend the rules in fixing lucrative transfers and contracts.

Producer Andrew Smith

Contributors

Unknown: Stuart Simon

Producer: Andrew Smith

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910522]

In the first of a new series, Stuart Simon reports on how soccer agents bend the rules.

Contributors

Unknown: Stuart Simon

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910528]

Why is South America facing a cholera epidemic for the first time this century? Roisin McAuley reports from Peru. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Unknown: Roisin McAuley

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910529]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910604]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Paul Barker. Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Reporter: Paul Barker.

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910605]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910611]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Louise Hibbins

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Producer: Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910612]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910618]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910619]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley.

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910625]

Can the peace process in Lebanon point the way through deadlock in the Middle East? Gerald Butt reports from Beirut. Producer Liz Carney

Contributors

Unknown: Gerald Butt

Producer: Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910626]

Can the peace process in Lebanon point the way through deadlock in the Middle East? Gerald Butt reports from Beirut.

Contributors

Unknown: Gerald Butt

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910702]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Susan O'Keeffe. Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Reporter: Susan O'Keeffe.

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910703]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Susan O'Keeffe.

Contributors

Reporter: Susan O'Keeffe.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910709]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer Louise Hibbins

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Producer: Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910710]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910716]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Tony Baker. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Reporter: Tony Baker.

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910717]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910730]

Recent revelations suggest that Iraq has long been cheating on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Has the treaty any value? And if it collapses, will there be nuclear anarchy? Reporter Stuart Simon. Producers Liz Carney and Olwyn Hocking

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Producers: Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910731]

Recent revelations suggest that Iraq has long been cheating on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Has the treaty any value? And if it collapses, will there be nuclear anarchy? Reporter Stuart Simon.

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910806]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter David Levy. Producer Louise Hibbins

Contributors

Reporter: David Levy.

Producer: Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910807]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911015]

Trial and Error

This special documentary is the first in a new series of the programme.

Contributors

President Bush has warned Israel to stop expandingjewish settlements in the Occupied Territories.

Stuart Simon traces the complex and controversial means by which the Israeli Government may have quietly sabotaged a land-for-peace deal. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Unknown: Stuart Simon

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911023]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911029]

As the USA and Holland accept a patient's right to die, Roger Harrabin asks whether it is time for

Britain to change the laws on euthanasia.

Producer Liz Carney

Contributors

Unknown: Roger Harrabin

Producer: Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911030]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911105]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Robin Lustig. Producer Louise Hibbins

Contributors

Reporter: Robin Lustig.

Producer: Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911106]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911112]

Two-and-a-half years after the Red Army left

Afghanistan, the chances of a political settlement there have never looked better. Will the fighting now stop and enable five million refugees to return home? Hugo Fay reports from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Unknown: Hugo Fay

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911113]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911120]

(Broadcastyesterday 7.20pm)

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911126]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Liz Carney

Contributors

Reporter: Mark Halliley.

Producer: Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911127]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911203]

Ashes of Empire The first of three programmes in which Gordon Clough reports from the Soviet Union. Can a new, cohesive confederation arise from the ashes of the old empire? Red Flag, Green Banners From the northern and southern outposts of the old Union, how strong are the forces of separation and the Islamic challenges to Soviet and Russian domination?

Producers Lucy Ash and Lynne Jones

Contributors

Unknown: Gordon Clough

Producers: Lucy Ash

Producers: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911204]

Ashes of Empire

A three-part series in which Gordon Clough reports from the Soviet Union.

1: Red Flag, Green Banners

Contributors

Unknown: Gordon Clough

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911210]

Ashes of Empire

A three-part series in which Gordon Clough reports from the Soviet Union. 2: Goinglt Alone

Will the separation now demanded by the Ukraine and other republics plunge the old Union into greater poverty and chaos?

Producers Lucy Ash and Lynne Jones

Contributors

Unknown: Gordon Clough

Unknown: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911211]

Ashes of Empire A three-part series. 2: Coing lt Alone

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911217]

Ashes of Empire

The last of a three-part series in which

Gordon Clough reports from the Soviet Union. Can a new, cohesive confederation arise from the ashes of the old empire?

The 16th Republic

As the 15 former Soviet

Republics set about establishing their own armed forces, what role is left for the rump of the Soviet Army? Can there be effective control of the huge Soviet nuclear arsenal? And could the proliferation of firepower lead to a Soviet Yugoslavia? Producers Lucy Ash and Lynne Jones

Contributors

Unknown: Gordon Clough

Producers: Lucy Ash

Producers: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911218]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920114]

NEW The return of the series exploring major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920115]

(Broadcastyesterdayat

7.20pm FM)

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920121]

Why are a growing number of diagnosed psychopaths who have committed serious offences being refused treatment in Britain' s top security hospitals? And does this refusal put society at risk? Reporter Mark Ha))i)ey. Producer Dav!dRoss

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Robin Lustig. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920205]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920211]

Reporter Adam Raphael. Producer Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920212]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920219]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920225]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920226]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920303]

An inquest may be the only time a bereaved family learns the full facts of a controversial death. But are coroners' courts equipped to cope with such investigations? Reporter Caroline Beck. Producer Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920304]

An inquest may be the only time a bereaved family learns the full facts of a controversial death.

But are coroners'courts equipped to cope with such investigations?

Reporter Caroline Beck.

(Broadcastyesterday 7.20pm FM)

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920310]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920311]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920317]

Adam Raphael reports on major issues, changing attitudes, and important events at home and abroad. Producer Vicky Whitfield

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920318]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920922]

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920923]

(Broadcast yesterday at 7.20pmJ

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920929]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Wend y Jones. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920930]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921006]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921007]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921013]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Gerry Northam. Producer Mark Weston-Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921014]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921020]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921021]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921027]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Wendy Jones. Producer Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921028]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921103]

Reporter Caroline Beck. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921104]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921110]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Mark Weston-Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921111]

Reporter Mark Halliley.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921117]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921118]

Reporter Wendy Jones.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921124]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Kati Whitaker. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921125]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921201]

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Mark Weston-Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921202]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921215]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921216]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921222]

A militant mutation of Muslim fundamentalism is coursing through the Arab world. In the second of two special programmes,

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930127]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930202]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Wendy Jones. Producer Mark Weston-Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930203]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Wendy Jones.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930209]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930210]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930216]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930217]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930223]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Wendy Jones. Producer Mark Weston Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930224]

with Wendy Jones.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930302]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Jolyon Jenkins. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930303]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Jolyon Jenkins.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930309]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer Chris Harmer

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930310]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930316]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Mark Weston-Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930317]

Reporter Stuart Simon.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930330]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Chris Harmer

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930331]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930406]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. The last programme of the present series.

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930407]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930511]

The documentary series returns.

The Fear of Living Dangerously

The face of teenage crime is undergoing some alarming changes. In some areas the level of violence has reached a point where shootings and street-level extortion are routine. In the first of a new series, Brian Crawford investigates the young generation of violent lawbreakers, the disturbing development of a "gun culture", and the emergence of the female gangster. His report uncovers a hard core of disaffected youth who are armed, dangerous and at war with each other. Producer Paul Sapin

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930512]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930518]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter

Caroline Beck.

Producer Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930519]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930525]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930526]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930601]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930602]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930608]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Alex Kirby. Producer Helen Boaden

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930609]

Major issues, changing attitudes, and important events at home and abroad.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930615]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jolyon Jenkins. Producer Amanda Ashton

The return of the series which investigates major issues and important events at home and abroad. The massive military campaign to wipe out Kurdish separatist rebels, gains for an Islamic party in recent local elections, and an economy in crisis, have left many Turks wondering about the future of their country. Jonathan Rugman reports from Istanbul and explores the implications for Europe of Turkey's domestic troubles.

Producer Liz Camey

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940517]

The programme which investigates major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Kim Barrington

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940521]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940524]

Reporter Ian Breach. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940528]

Reporter Ian Breach.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940531]

The programe which investigates major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940604]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940607]

Reporter Emily Buchanan. Producer Caroline Pare

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940611]

Is there an African solution to tribal conflict? Emily Buchanan reports from Uganda and Ethiopia.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940614]

Reporter Gerry Northam.

Producer Kim Bamngton

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940618]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940621]

A special investigation into the hidden world of the liquidators. Britain's 2,000 insolvency practitioners are charged with rescuing bankrupt companies, or disposing of their assets for the best possible price. But are they exploiting this powerful position for their own ends? Reporter Jolyon Jenkins.

Producer David Haggie

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940625]

Jolyon Jenkins reports on a special investigation into the hidden world of the liquidators.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940628]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940702]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940705]

Reporter Neal Dalgleish.

Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940709]

Reporter Neal Dalgleish. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940712]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940716]

Reporter Jolyon Jenkins.

Producer Kim Barrington

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940719]

Magistrates in the south of England employed private bailiffs to collect fines. But the company went bust, and the court is now owed a quarter of a million pounds in fines collected but never received. Gerry Northam investigates what happens when public debt collection is privatised.

Producer Liz Camey

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940723]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940726]

Reporter Jenny Cuffe.

Producer David Haggie

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940730]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940802]

How far have the Palestinians been obliged by the terms of their peace agreement with Israel to swap military for economic occupation?

Mark Whitaker reports.

Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940806]

How far have the Palestinians been obliged to swap military occupation for economic occupation? Reporter Mark Whitaker.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940809]

The last in the series investigating major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Terry Dignan reports. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940813]

Terry Dignan reports in the last of the investigative series.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940920]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. With reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Liz Carney

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940924]

Reporter Mark Halliley. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941001]

Local councils and private residents are using private security guards to keep crime at bay. Should the police fear an agenda of creeping privatisation? Gerry Northam reports. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941004]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker.

Producer Kim Barrington. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941008]

with reporter Mark Whittaker. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941011]

Stuart Simon examines the Government's attempts to help the High Street. Is it too little, too late?

Producer David Haggle. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941015]

with reporter Stuart Simon. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941018]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Sharon Rowe

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941022]

Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941025]

Reporter Julian 0' Halloran. Producer Lynne Jones

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941029]

Repeated from Tuesday

Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941101]

Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Kim Barnngton

Repeatd Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941105]

Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941108]

Reporter Stuart Simon.

Producer David Lewis. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941112]

Reporter Stuart Simon. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941115]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Jenny Cuffe reports. producer David Haggle

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941119]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941122]

Reporter Jolyon Jenkins.

Producer David Ross. Rptd on Sat at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941126]

Reporter Jolyon Jenkins. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941129]

Reporter Mark Whitaker.

Producer Jill Simpson. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941203]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941206]

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941210]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941213]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer David Lewis

Major issues at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Jan Frazer

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960316]

Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960319]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Julian O'Halloran. Producer Sharon Keatley

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960323]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960326]

With Britain's high-street shops and supermarkets increasingly filled with exotic fruit, flowers and vegetables grown in Third World countries, Jolyon Jenkins reports from Kenya on the human cost of this new trade. Producer David Haggle

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960330]

Jolyon Jenkins reports from Kenya. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960402]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Kim Barrington

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960518]

Reports on major issues. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960521]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Jim Hackett

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960525]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960528]

With reporter Julian O'Halloran.

Producer Kim Barrington. Rptd Sat 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960601]

Reports on major issues and events. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960604]

Reporter Richard Watson.

Producer Sharon Keatley. Rptd Sat 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960608]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960611]

Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Lynne Jones. Rptd Sat 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960615]

With Jonathan Rugman. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960618]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Wendy Robbins.

Producer David Lewis. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960622]

Wendy Robbins reports. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960625]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Sally Chesworth

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960629]

With reporter Mark Whitaker. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960702]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Julian O'Halloran.

Producer Jim Hackett. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960706]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960709]

Reporter Richard Watson.

Producer Mike Hind. Rptd Sat 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960713]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960716]

With Jonathan Rugman.

Producer Sharon Keatley. Rptd Sat 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960720]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960723]

Roisin McAuley reports on major issues at home and abroad. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960727]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960730]

Jenny Cuffe reports on major issues at home and abroad. Producer Sally Chesworth

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960803]

Jenny Cuffe reports on major issues. Repeated from Tuesday

THE DEEP

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960806]

Tim Rogers reports on major issues. Producer Jim Hackett

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960810]

Tim Rogers reports on major issues. Repeated from Tuesday THE DEEP

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960813]

In the last of the series, Julian O'Halloran reports on major issues. Producer Lynne Jones Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960817]

Last of the series with Julian O'Halloran.

Repeated from Tuesday

THE DEEP

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960917]

Mark Whitaker reports on major issues at home and abroad. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960921]

Mark Whitaker reports on major issues at home and abroad. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960924]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960928]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961001]

Jonathan Rugman reports on major issues at home and abroad. Producer Sally Chesworth

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961005]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961008]

Roger Wilkes reports on major issues at home and abroad. Producer Liz Carney

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961012]

Roger Wilkes reports. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961015]

Reporter Lesley Curwen. Producer Lynne Jones

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961019]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961022]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961026]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961029]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961102]

Major issues, changing attitudes, and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961105]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Liz Carney. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961109]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961112]

Reporter Roger Wilkes. Producer Lynne Jones

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961116]

Reporter Roger Wilkes. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961119]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Julian O'Halloran. Producer Clare Pointon

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961123]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961126]

Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961130]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961203]

Major issues, changing attitudes, and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Sarah Lewthwaite

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961207]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961210]

Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

* Face behind the Voice: page 13

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961214]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970128]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. In the first programme of the new series, Julian O'Halloran examines the reasons for the rising number of E Coli cases. The Scottish food poisoning scare, which has cost 16 lives and made hundreds ill, is close to being the world's worst outbreak of its kind. But the incidents of E Coli have rocketed over the past ten years, leaving a trail of deaths and kidney-damaged children. Tonight's programme asks whether lives could have been saved if the government had imposed some basic food and health measures.

Producer Sarah Lewthwaite

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970201]

Presented by Julian O'Halloran. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970204]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970208]

Current affairs magazine. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970211]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970215]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970218]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Gregor Stewart

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970222]

Major issues at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970225]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Julian O'Halloran. Producer Justin Rowlatt

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970301]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970304]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Last in the series.

Producer Sarah Lewthwaite Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970308]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970408]

Last month a House of Commons

Committee criticised the Ministry of Defence's failure to provide full information on "Gulf War Syndrome". In the first of a new series of File on 4, Julian O'Halloran examines how much is now known about the causes of veterans' illnesses. Producer Gregor Stewart

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970415]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970422]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Justin Rowlatt

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970429]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jolyon Jenkins. Producer Sarah Lewthwaite

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970506]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970510]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970513]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Gregor Stewart. Rptd Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970517]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970520]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Liz Carney. Producer Kim Barrington Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970524]

With reporter Liz Carney. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970527]

With Richard Watson.

Producer Justin Rowlatt

Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970531]

With Richard Watson.

Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970603]

With Mark Whitaker. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970607]

With Mark Whitaker. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970610]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Sarah Lewthwaite Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970614]

With Jenny Cuffe.

Producer Sarah Lewthwaite Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970617]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Gregor Stewart Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970621]

With Jonathan Rugman. Producer Gregor Rugman. Rptd from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970624]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jolyon Jenkins. Producer Liz Carney

Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970628]

With Jolyon Jenkins.

Producer Liz Carney. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970701]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Kim Barrington Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970705]

With Mark Whitaker. Producer Kim Barrington Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970708]

With Justin Rowlatt.

Producer David Lewis. Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970712]

With Justin Rowlatt. Producer David Lewis. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970715]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Julian O'Halloran. Producer Gregor Stewart Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970719]

With Julian O'Halloran.

Producer Gregor Stewart. Rptd from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970923]

The Labour government has committed itself to a "zero-tolerance" policy towards failing schools and inadequate teachers. Mark Whitaker asks what lessons Britain can learn from Chicago's public education system. Once deemed the worst in America, it is currently being revolutionised in the name of improved classroom performance. Producer Deborah Hawkes Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970927]

Mark Whitaker asks what lessons

Britain can learn from Chicago's public education system.

Repeated from yesterday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970930]

Richard Watson reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Kim Barrington Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971004]

Richard Watson reports on major issues at home and abroad.

Producer Kim Barrington Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971007]

Liz Carney reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Andy Denwood Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971011]

Liz Camey reports on major issues and important events at home and abroad.

Producer Andy Denwood

Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971014]

Peter Hetherington reports on major issues at home and abroad.

Producer Gregor Stewart. Rptd Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971018]

Peter Hetherington reports on major issues at home and abroad.

Producer Gregor Stewart Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971021]

Mark Whittaker examines the record of the Environment Agency, which was created 18 months ago and integrated the work of the anti-pollution agencies for water, air and land. Producer Deborah Hawkes Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971025]

Mark Whitaker examines the record of the Environment Agency. Producer Deborah Hawkes

Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971028]

Lesley Curwen reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Kim Barrington Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971101]

Investigation into the work of the World Trade Organisation. With Lesley Curwen. Producer Kim Barrington. Rptd from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971104]

Richard Watson reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events both at home and abroad.

Producer Andy Denwood Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971108]

Richard Watson reports on major issues at home and abroad.

Producer Andy Denwood. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971111]

Liz Carney reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Christine Morgan Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971115]

Liz Carney reports on major issues at home and abroad.

Producer Christine Morgan Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971118]

The civil war in Sudan is the longest-running conflict in Africa and has claimed at least 1.5 million lives. As yet another attempt to broker a peace deal gets under way, Maurice Walsh assesses the chances for peace.

Producer David Lewis. Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971122]

The civil war in Sudan has claimed at least 1.5 million lives. Maurice Walsh assesses the chances for peace. Producer Christine Morgan Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971125]

Mark Whitaker reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Gregor Stewart Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971129]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971202]

Lesley Curwen reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Deborah Hawkes Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971206]

Lesley Curwen reports on major issues at home and abroad. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971209]

Julian O'Halloran reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Christine Morgan Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971213]

Julian O'Halloran reports on major issues at home and abroad. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971216]

Liz Carney reports on major issues; changing attitudes and important ' events at home and abroad. Producer Andy Denwood

Repeated Saturday 5pm ;

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971220]

Liz Carney reports on major issues at home and abroad. Repeated from Tuesday

Green Doubts Over Role For Coal *

20080610

20080615

Julian O'halloran reports on the calls for a new generation of coal-fired power stations by electricity generating companies.

The demands are fuelled by concern over energy security and rocketing gas prices, but opposition is widespread.

Julian O'Halloran reports on the calls for a new generation of coal-fired power stations by electricity generating companies. The demands are fuelled by concern over energy security and rocketing gas prices, but opposition is widespread.

Green On Blue

20120925

20120930

Why are growing numbers of allied soldiers being killed by their Afghan allies?

In the first of a new series, Gerry Northam investigates the rising number of so called "green on blue" attacks in which Afghan soldiers and policemen have turned their guns on British and other international troops.

With more than 50 NATO troops killed in insider attacks this year, is enough being done to protect those working as mentors?

The US has invested over $50 billion on developing independent Afghan security forces but according to a US Government audit, the majority of Afghan troops remain heavily reliant on American help and support. Even widespread illiteracy remains a problem.

Meanwhile the impact of the recent attacks is huge - undermining the trust that's needed between the Afghan forces and the coalition troops getting them ready to take over the security in 2014.

So how reliable is the screening of new Afghan recruits? And, with continuing questions over their loyalties and capabilities, can there be an effective withdrawal in two years' time?

Presenter: Gerry Northam

Producer: David Lewis.

Grooming: A Life Sentence?

20130611

20130616

In the latest high profile grooming trial, 7 men from Oxford will be sentenced later this month for sexually exploiting and raping 6 schoolgirls. Police said the girls - some as young as 12 - were 'abused to the point of torture' for years. One girl was injected with heroin. Another was forced to have a backstreet abortion.

The police praised the young women for finding the strength to give evidence against the gang and protect other girls.

But, after the legal process ends, what support is there for victims?

After a string of such abuse cases around the country, Jane Deith finds there are many young women who say they've been let down by the authorities and are struggling, alone, with mental health problems and difficulties with education and housing.

More victims of grooming are being rescued. But does being sexually exploited as a child mean a life sentence?

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Gun Control: Europe's Flooded Market

20150324

20150329 (R4)

With Britain on heightened alert following Islamist shootings in Paris and Copenhagen, how well prepared are we to deal with a similar attack?

Allan Urry discovers how extremists in neighbouring European countries were able to get access to guns and hears concerns about the ready availability of illegal weapons from Eastern Europe and North Africa.

So what risk does that pose for the UK? Britain prides itself on tough gun control, but is that enough to prevent determined would-be terrorists getting access to firearms?

Reporter: Allan Urry Producer: Gail Champion.

Gun Crime

20031014

20031019

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad, with reporter Gerry Northam

H M Customs

20040316

20040321

Two years ago File on 4 revealed details of a police investigation into the way HM Customs had handled major drugs cases.

Now, Gerry Northam examines new claims of even more serious misconduct and asks whether this once-great agency can survive further scandals.

'high Way' To Hell

20160906

20160911 (R4)

: File on 4 investigates the lethal highs coming to the UK from China.

Earlier this year, the government introduced legislation banning the production, distribution, sale and supply of legal highs. Designed to stop what has been described as a tsunami of chemicals flooding into the UK, it has resulted in the closure of the high street shops which had been selling exotically named substances like Spice, Mamba and China White.

So why are they still finding their way onto the streets? File on 4 traces the supply back to labs in China and discovers a myriad of psychoactive substances are still only a few internet clicks away. Prior to the ban, the authorities were aware of the risk that internet sales could take over from the high street and that China is fast becoming the 'chemical and pharmaceutical wholesaler to the world'.

So is the new legislation really the answer, and if not, what options remain to disrupt the now illegal supply of these lethal substances?

Reporter: Danny Vincent

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Highways Agency

20121120

20121125

With the CBI calling for it to be scrapped, Allan Urry examines the Highways Agency.

Fed up with road works? Stuck in a queue of traffic? The Government is promising big improvements for drivers who use motorways and major roads. It's looking for ways to increase private sector involvement and to boost investment. So what future for the body that currently manages the network in England? With the CBI calling for it to be scrapped, and with criticism from local authorities and motoring organisations, Allan Urry road asks whether it's the end of the road for the Highways Agency?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Homes But No Loans

20110125

20110130

Despite the threat of a new slide in house prices and rising levels of negative equity, the number of property-buyers having their homes repossessed has declined over the past year. But now many economists predict interest rates will rise in the course of 2011, fuelling fears that Britain's housing market could be facing a double dip. With banks chasing profits and affordable mortgages harder to find. Michael Robinson asks what impact the new housing freeze will have on Britain's already battered economy.

Producer: Andy Denwood.

How will the mortgage freeze hit Britain's already battered economy?

Despite the threat of a new slide in house prices and rising levels of negative equity, the number of property-buyers having their homes repossessed has declined over the past year.

But now many economists predict interest rates will rise in the course of 2011, fuelling fears that Britain's housing market could be facing a double dip.

With banks chasing profits and affordable mortgages harder to find.

Michael Robinson asks what impact the new housing freeze will have on Britain's already battered economy.

Homes Not Hospitals

20160913

20160918 (R4)

Has care for people with learning disabilities improved since Winterbourne View?

Five years after shocking revelations about the abuse of patients at Winterbourne View, File on 4 asks what progress has been made on the promise to get people with learning disabilities and autism out of hospital units and into homes in the community with good support.

Families of those still stuck in these units say patients are trapped in the system with no clear plan or apparent will to get them home. For those eventually discharged, almost as many others are admitted - parents say, because there aren't enough community support services.

But if people are let out by the institutions, what's does so-called 'supported living' in the community look like? File on 4 hears concerns about the quantity and quality of this promised care. Parents describe living on the brink of a crisis that could land their children back in a cycle of being sectioned and locked up.

NHS England says the plans are taking shape. But families say it's like living in The Twilight Zone, in a limbo hidden from mainstream view and unable to find a way out.

So just how successful is the landmark 'Homes not Hospitals' plan, that aims to improve life for some of the most vulnerable patients in the NHS?

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Sally Chesworth

Editor: Gail Champion.

Hospitals - Open All Hours?

20130122

20130127

The government and senior medical figures want consultants to be more hands on in hospitals at weekends and at night. It follows evidence patients are less likely to receive prompt treatment and more likely to die if they are admitted to hospital on a Saturday or Sunday. A recent survey of hospital chief executives showed they had significant doubts their hospitals were as safe at weekends as during the week.

Jane Deith examines cases which raise concerns about out of hours care in hospitals. Is there enough senior medical support for junior doctors and how effective is the on-call system where consultants are available to give advice over the phone from home?

While departments such as accident and emergency, intensive care and obstetrics, already have consultants working in hospitals during the weekend, some medical colleges believe the time has come for 24 hour, seven days a week consultant cover on the wards. Jane visits hospitals trying to achieve this and hears the challenges they face.

The programme also investigates what this increased consultant presence might cost the NHS and whether there will be enough senior doctors available to make it happen. The College of Emergency Medicine, for example, says accident and emergency departments are facing a recruitment crisis and it does not expect to see the required number of consultants until 2030.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Housing Blight?

20150609

20150614 (R4)

With the urgent need for more housing, Britain's planning laws are under pressure like never before. Greenbelt land and even sites designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are being earmarked for development. So how far can we protect the countryside when the need for houses is so acute? Allan Urry reveals new figures on scale of the problem and investigates claims that the planning system is being stretched to breaking point.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Emma Forde.

How can we build more houses and still protect our countryside? Allan Urry investigates.

How Safe Is Your Pension?

20161011

20161016 (R4)

Following the BHS scandal, Allan Urry investigates other cases in which employees claim they've lost out because companies have ditched their full pension fund commitments.

It's the job of the Pensions Regulator to ensure employers follow the rules and to protect the benefits of those who've been paying in. So how good are they at keeping your pension safe?

The programme untangles the complex financial engineering that goes on as some foreign investors try to wash their hands of any on-going obligations to their UK workforce.

And one former director whose actions cost a pension fund millions of pounds is confronted at his home.

Producer: Paul Grant

Reporter: Allan Urry.

As the scandal over the collapse of BHS rumbles on, how safe is your pension?

How To Close Guantanamo?

20071113

20071118

Jon Manel looks at the potential problems in closing the US's controversial detention facility and investigates claims that the US is already breaking international law by sending detainees to countries where thay may face abuse and torture.

How to Close Guantanamo?

Hs2: Winners And Losers

20131008

20131013

Who are the winners and losers from high-speed rail?

The government is stepping up its support for HS2, the high-speed rail project due to link London and Birmingham by 2026 with extensions to Manchester and Leeds by 2032.

The cost is officially estimated to be £42.6bn and could rise to more than £51bn if, as expected, the scheme incurs VAT. Opponents foresee further increases and have predicted an eventual bill of £80bn for taxpayers.

Who stands to gain from the project and who will be the losers?

The government has published detailed maps of the route to be taken by the first stage, leading to calamitous falls in the value of many nearby properties.

Towns and cities which are near the route but not linked to HS2 fear that their economies will suffer as businesses are attracted to Birmingham and the northern ends of the line. Current fast train services are due to suffer drastic cuts in the wake of HS2 and some major development plans are now deemed to be at risk.

Meanwhile, economic advisers in the three major cities are planning for billions of pounds worth of benefits as travel-times and congestion on the existing network are reduced.

Gerry Northam reports from areas which expect to benefit from HS2 and those which could lose out and asks what lessons can be learned from the impact of Britain's first high-speed rail project - HS1 in Kent.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane

Editor: David Ross.

Illicit Arms Trade

20130115

20130120

The recent conviction of an arms broker from Yorkshire has raised serious concerns about the murky world of the international weapons trade. Gary Hyde was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for one of the largest illegal arms deals ever uncovered: 80,000 guns and 32 million rounds of ammunition shipped from China to Nigeria - enough to equip a small army. But no-one knows where they ended up. Britain has strict regulations governing the sale and export of firearms, so how did he manage it? Where have the guns gone?

File on 4 investigates the British arms dealers brokering weapons for some of the world's most dangerous regimes. Some have done work for the Ministry of Defence. One was even a firearms advisor to the Home Office. Allan Urry asks what this means for the UK's licensing and arms export regimes, claimed to be among the best in the world.

Producer: Gail Champion.

In The Shadows

20150922

20150927 (R4)

With the Government cracking down on migrants working illegally, Simon Cox investigates Britain's shadow economy. He meets illegal workers to ask whether the get-tough message is putting them off. And he reveals the ways in which both employers and workers are getting round the law. So can the UK Border Force deliver on ministers' promises to make the UK an "unattractive" place for those who want to work illegally?

Reporter: Simon Cox Producer: David Lewis.

Simon Cox meets migrants working in Britain illegally.

Inside The Abattoir

20140617

20140622

The recent furore over halal meat has focused attention on how our meat is killed and processed.

But beyond the ethical and religious debate over halal, are there bigger concerns about how abattoirs are regulated and policed?

Companies have been fined for failing to remove body parts associated with the human form of mad cow disease, BSE.

Now there are plans to shake-up the inspection process which critics say this could lead to more infected animals entering the food chain.

There are also claims that vets based in abattoirs to monitor animal welfare - and inspectors who check meat we eat is safe - regularly face threats and intimidation.

Do Insolvency Practitioners measure up to the high standards expected of them when they are called in to a stricken business? Allan Urry examines concerns that some IP's don't always act in the best interests of creditors who are owed money when companies fail.

Are landlords right to complain they've been getting a raw deal because some corporate undertakers side too much with their retail paymasters, who are pushing for reduced rents because their businesses are in trouble.

The Office of Fair Trading is calling for far reaching reforms amid concerns about high fees and low recovery rates for some creditors.

So is there proper oversight of a profession which takes a billion pounds in fees each year, but isn't subjected to much public scrutiny?

PRODUCER: Paul Grant.

Allan Urry investigates concerns about the role of insolvency practitioners.

Insurance And Child Abuse

20150224

20150301 (R4)

With a growing number of compensation claims arising from cases of historic sexual abuse and more recent high profile cases of sexual grooming, Tim Whewell investigates the key role which insurance companies play. In representing the local authorities where scandals occurred, insurers naturally seek to limit liability but are they doing so at a cost to victims? Lawyers say they have to battle to get access to files and other information - causing further distress and delaying help for those damaged by abuse. Some say the fight is getting harder as insurance companies have toughened their approach in recent years. And, with a national inquiry into historic cases of child sex abuse, how much influence did insurance companies have on the way some past investigations were carried out? File on 4 talks to senior local authority insiders who say they were told to alter their approach to abuse investigations to protect the insurers' interests. But was that at the expense of children at risk?

Reporter: Tim Whewell Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Intensive Care

20040224

20040229

With doctors and the Government at loggerheads over claims of a crisis in NHS intensive care, Matthew Hill asks why, despite extra funding, some patients are still being put at risk.

Iranian Sanctions

20120214

20120219

With the EU poised to ban oil imports from Iran, Allan Urry assesses the impact of international sanctions on Britain and Europe.

Designed to curb Iran's nuclear programme, the oil embargo could further push up the cost of fuel.

Iranian companies are involved in a number of joint ventures that bring energy into European homes and factories: File on 4 examines what will happen to these vital projects as the new round of trade restrictions begins to bite.

And British companies that trade legitimately with Iran are already finding it harder to do business. They warn that it could lead to job losses.

How will the sanctions affect Europe at a time when many economies are in recession or are just stagnating?

And how effective are the new restrictions likely to be given Iran's experience of finding ways around international controls on what it can buy and sell.

Producer: David Lewis.

How will a European ban on Iranian oil affect Britain during a period of economic gloom?

Iranian Sanctions

20120219

How will a European ban on Iranian oil affect Britain during a period of economic gloom?

Iran's Nuclear Standoff

20130528

20130602

There's mounting concern over the Iranian nuclear programme. Is Tehran is simply playing cat and mouse with the international community and buying time until it is ready to develop a nuclear weapon? Evidence is emerging that Iran is co-operating with North Korea, a country which has already developed its own weapon.

The latest report from the UN's international watchdog, the IAEA, is due out next month - but has the IAEA been strong enough in its dealings with Tehran and Pyongyang?

Reporter Rob Broomby charts the history of concealment of Iran's nuclear activities and its refusal to abandon the most controversial parts of its programme, despite numerous UN Security Council resolutions and a raft of sanctions. In a detailed interview with File on 4, Iran's ambassador dealing with nuclear matters, Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, denies his country is a "serial offender". But can protestations of innocence be taken seriously when Iran still refuses inspectors access to key sites and documents?

The programme also examines the role of the IAEA in dealing with Iran and hears from former nuclear inspectors, ex-Whitehouse officials, diplomats and experts. Is the Agency up to the job of preventing states from acquiring the bomb?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Islamic State: Looting For Terror

20150217

20150222 (R4)

Satellite images reveal the extent to which sites of important historical interest have been looted in Syria. Some of these are in areas controlled by Islamic State where looters are believed to pay a tax to allow them to operate. Iraqi military say evidence from a senior IS member revealed the group is making millions of pounds from the trafficking of looted antiquities

Simon Cox investigates the global trade in stolen artefacts and traces smuggling routes through Turkey and Lebanon and onto the international antiquities market.

He hears concerns that dealers and collectors are not doing enough to verify the provenance of ancient works of art and asks whether the authorities in the UK and elsewhere are doing enough to prevent the trade.

Why, for example, does the UK remain the most significant military power not to have ratified a UN convention to protect cultural property during armed conflict?

Reporter: Simon Cox Producer: Paul Grant.

Jarvis And The Private Finance Initiative

20031111

20031116

Jarvis plc pulled out of its railway track maintenance contracts last month.

But how good is Jarvis's reputation in its other huge contracts under the PFI? Gerry Northam reports.

/ When Jarvis plc pulled out of its railway track maintenance contracts last month, it said it was doing so because of the risk to public confidence in the company.

But how good is Jarvis' reputation in its other huge contracts under the Private Finance Initiative?

Kick Starting Recovery?

20110809

20110814

The Government's strategy to boost local enterprise in England began poorly.

The Director of the CBI criticised it as 'a shambles' and Business Secretary Vince Cable admitted it was 'Maoist and chaotic'.

Now 36 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) have been established with the aim of supporting economic growth and innovation and encouraging a network of Enterprise Zones.

But some experts remain sceptical.

They claim that the policy has failed to put business interests first and that in some parts of the country it has been hijacked by local politicians.

Others complain that areas of deprivation have been overlooked in favour of more affluent neighbours.

There is also concern that the strategy is not implementing the government's policy of localism.

Can LEPs deliver the economic fruits they promise? Or will some just fizzle out, as one insider fears? Gerry Northam reports.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane

Editor: David Ross.

Can the government's strategy to boost local enterprise recover from a 'chaotic' start?

The Government's strategy to boost local enterprise in England began poorly. The Director of the CBI criticised it as 'a shambles' and Business Secretary Vince Cable admitted it was 'Maoist and chaotic'.

Now 36 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) have been established with the aim of supporting economic growth and innovation and encouraging a network of Enterprise Zones. But some experts remain sceptical. They claim that the policy has failed to put business interests first and that in some parts of the country it has been hijacked by local politicians. Others complain that areas of deprivation have been overlooked in favour of more affluent neighbours. There is also concern that the strategy is not implementing the government's policy of localism.

Kick Starting Recovery?

20110814

The Government's strategy to boost local enterprise in England began poorly. The Director of the CBI criticised it as 'a shambles' and Business Secretary Vince Cable admitted it was 'Maoist and chaotic'.

Now 36 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) have been established with the aim of supporting economic growth and innovation and encouraging a network of Enterprise Zones. But some experts remain sceptical. They claim that the policy has failed to put business interests first and that in some parts of the country it has been hijacked by local politicians. Others complain that areas of deprivation have been overlooked in favour of more affluent neighbours. There is also concern that the strategy is not implementing the government's policy of localism.

Can LEPs deliver the economic fruits they promise? Or will some just fizzle out, as one insider fears? Gerry Northam reports.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane

Editor: David Ross.

Can the government's strategy to boost local enterprise recover from a 'chaotic' start?

Killers Released From Secure Wards

20040309

20040314

Each year, scores of killings are carried out by people with a history of mental illness, some of them patients released from secure wards against the advice of doctors.

For almost a decade, both Tory and Labour ministers have pledged new measures to cut the death toll - so why then has so little been done.

Are care homes able to protect frail and vulnerable elderly residents from violence?

Headlines involving abuse in care homes normally centre on allegations against staff, but is aggression among residents being overlooked?

With homes increasingly taking care of those with more complex needs such as dementia and other mental health disorders, are staff able to cope with some who have challenging behaviour?

File on 4 has found evidence that some residents are suffering serious assaults by others living in the same home. Some have died from their injuries. Allan Urry investigates the unsolved killing of one dementia patient.

Are workers skilled enough to recognise and deal with aggression, before it becomes violent, and should the NHS and local authorities be doing more to support them?

When the perpetrators themselves often have little understanding of what they have done due to the nature of their illness-are they also being let down? The programme reveals failures in the system that could have cost lives.

Reporter: Allan UrryProducer: Emma FordeEditor: Gail Champion.

Late Payments

20140708

20140713

Last month, in the Queen's Speech, the Government announced a series of measures to support small businesses -- including proposals to deal with the problem of late payment of bills by larger companies.

It follows a long history of horror stories about major high street names leaving suppliers and sub-contractors out of pocket because of delays in settling accounts.

Figures produced by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills revealed that 85 per cent of small and medium sized businesses said they had experienced late payment in the last two years and that, in total, there was £30bn outstanding to them.

But File on 4 has found that it's not just in private business that serious problems are occurring.

The programme speaks to business owners who say that that ineffective rules and sanctions have left them badly out of pocket on contracts undertaken in the public sector.

Local authorities, the NHS and other Government departments have strict rules about how long they should take to pay their contractors.

But Jenny Chryss reveals how some small firms are having to cut back on staff because bills still aren't being settled promptly.

And she reveals how big contractors who do get paid on time, often delay before passing the money down the supply chain.

So are critics right when they say the Government's proposed new measures still aren't enough to deal with the problem?

Reporter: Jenny Chryss Producer: Emma Forde.

Learning And Skills Council

20070220

20070225

The government has been spending billions of pounds trying to equip young people with the skills industry says it needs to stay competitive.

So why are we still so short of plumbers and plasterers? Allan Urry examines the performance of the Learning and Skills Council, Britain's largest quango, and asks whether it can fix it.

The government has been spending billions of pounds trying to equip young people with the skills industry says it needs to stay competitive. So why are we still so short of plumbers and plasterers? Allan Urry examines the performance of the Learning and Skills Council, Britain's largest quango, and asks: 'Can they fix it'?

The government has been spending billions of pounds trying to equip young people with the skills industry says it needs to stay competitive. So why are we still so short of plumbers and plasterers? Allan Urry examines the performance of the Learning and Skills Council, Britain's largest quango, and asks whether it can fix it.

Links Between Government And The Defence Industry

20030513

20030518

Allan Urry investigates how the war in Iraq has created a boom time for the defence industry.

and reveals new evidence of the extent of the links between Government and the industry.

Liquid Assets

20140114

20140119

As water companies submit their spending plans for the next five years, Lesley Curwen investigates what happens to the money once the household water bill has been paid.

Half of England's water companies are now in the ownership of global investment funds. In many cases these corporate bodies are run and financed from abroad behind closed doors. They use a web of companies some in off-shore tax havens to provide a steady flow of dividends to their shareholders.

But is their mechanism for generating shareholder income at the expense of the customers who are looking for lower bills and sustained investment in their water supply?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Little Brother's Big Secrets

20160927

20161002 (R4)

Valued at £80 billion, the UK's junior stock market is hyped as the most successful growth market in the world.

Government incentives - including stamp duty and inheritance tax breaks - mean that more ordinary UK investors are opting for the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

Set up in 1995 to allow smaller companies to raise funds, AIM is a less-regulated alternative to its big brother, the main London Stock Exchange.

But it is no stranger to controversy.

Once labelled a "casino" by a senior US regulator due to its lax regulation, the market has been hit by a series of recent high profile scandals.

File on Four asks if this light-touch regulation poses a hidden risk for shareholders and if unscrupulous businesses are exploiting AIM to rip off ordinary British investors?

Producer: Alys Harte

Reporter: Simon Cox.

Is the UK's alternative investment market, known as 'little brother', open to fraud?

London Calling

20161108

20161113 (R4)

With the Government claiming to lead the way in plans to crack down on global corruption, how come so little is being done in Britain to tackle the vast sums of money allegedly laundered through the UK by corrupt foreign officials and international crime gangs?

Allan Urry investigates claims that not enough is being done by the UK to tackle the laundering of corrupt assets or to assist nations who ask for help in getting their money back. The programme also hears complaints that British law enforcement is refusing to investigate cases.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: David Lewis.

Is the UK doing enough to tackle corruption and prevent money laundering in the capital?

Madrassas

20111023

Earlier this year, an imam working in Stoke-on-Trent was jailed for raping a 12 year old boy at his mosque.

In the wake of the case, File on 4 investigates whether the thousands of children who visit mosques and madrassas each week to study the Quran are being properly protected.

The leader of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain has warned that without urgent action, his religion could face an "avalanche" of historic cases similar to the ones which have swamped the Roman Catholic church.

Already, several other abusers whose crimes remained undetected for decades have been brought to court.

How can parents be sure their children are safe in unregulated madrassas where no-one ensures proper criminal record checks are made on staff and volunteers? And should the ban on corporal punishment in schools be extended to cover madrassas when some children still face physical punishment?

Fran Abrams investigates.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Are children at risk of abuse in Britain's unregulated madrassa schools?

Earlier this year, an imam working in Stoke-on-Trent was jailed for raping a 12 year old boy at his mosque. In the wake of the case, File on 4 investigates whether the thousands of children who visit mosques and madrassas each week to study the Quran are being properly protected.

The leader of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain has warned that without urgent action, his religion could face an "avalanche" of historic cases similar to the ones which have swamped the Roman Catholic church. Already, several other abusers whose crimes remained undetected for decades have been brought to court.

Memory On Trial

20110329

20110403

Do we understand enough about how memory works to properly assess evidence in sex abuse cases when allegations date back decades? Can juries make decisions based on their common sense in complex cases?

The number of so called "historic abuse cases" making their way through the coruts has increased in recent years following changes in the law that make it easier to bring them to trial and a greater willingness on behalf of victims to come forward.

These are among the most difficult cases the justice system handles given the highly sensitive nature of the allegations being made and the often lengthy gap between the events in question and the prosecution. Many cases now turn on one person's word against another and therefore rely heavily on the quality of memory evidence each side can bring.

But even the memory experts are divided on how the court process should assess memory evidence. Whist many victims never forget their abuse, some psychologists say people can genuinely block out or forget abuse and then remember it in detail later in life. But others warn of "false memory syndrome" and claim that in some cases allegations are wrongly based on ideas that have arised during therapy or from third party experiences which complainants adopt as their own.

In this week's File on 4, Jackie Long examines concerns from across the criminal justice system - from lawyers who claim the system is creating "a new genre of miscarriages of justice" because defendants cannot get a fair trial, from victims who say their long-held memories are being branded as false in court and from psychologists who question how well equipped our courts are to consider such evidence.

So how much do we know about how memory works? And is the courtroom the right place to get to the truth?

These are among the most difficult cases the justice system handles given the highly sensitive nature of the allegations being made and the often lengthy gap between the events in question and the prosecution.

Many cases now turn on one person's word against another and therefore rely heavily on the quality of memory evidence each side can bring.

But even the memory experts are divided on how the court process should assess memory evidence.

Whist many victims never forget their abuse, some psychologists say people can genuinely block out or forget abuse and then remember it in detail later in life.

But others warn of "false memory syndrome" and claim that in some cases allegations are wrongly based on ideas that have arised during therapy or from third party experiences which complainants adopt as their own.

Memory On Trial

20110403

Do we understand enough about how memory works to properly assess evidence in sex abuse cases when allegations date back decades? Can juries make decisions based on their common sense in complex cases?

The number of so called "historic abuse cases" making their way through the coruts has increased in recent years following changes in the law that make it easier to bring them to trial and a greater willingness on behalf of victims to come forward.

These are among the most difficult cases the justice system handles given the highly sensitive nature of the allegations being made and the often lengthy gap between the events in question and the prosecution. Many cases now turn on one person's word against another and therefore rely heavily on the quality of memory evidence each side can bring.

But even the memory experts are divided on how the court process should assess memory evidence. Whist many victims never forget their abuse, some psychologists say people can genuinely block out or forget abuse and then remember it in detail later in life. But others warn of "false memory syndrome" and claim that in some cases allegations are wrongly based on ideas that have arised during therapy or from third party experiences which complainants adopt as their own.

In this week's File on 4, Jackie Long examines concerns from across the criminal justice system - from lawyers who claim the system is creating "a new genre of miscarriages of justice" because defendants cannot get a fair trial, from victims who say their long-held memories are being branded as false in court and from psychologists who question how well equipped our courts are to consider such evidence.

So how much do we know about how memory works? And is the courtroom the right place to get to the truth?

In 2015, reporter Adrian Goldberg investigated the state of England's mental health provision and measured the promise of equal treatment for psychiatric patients against the reality on the wards of psychiatric hospitals and in the community. The notion of "parity of esteem" has been enshrined in law in 2012, and has been promoted by successive Prime Ministers, but was found in many areas to be sadly lacking.

So, two years on what progress has been made? And what more needs to be done to help patients in crisis?

Adrian talks to former NHS executive Lord Crisp, nurses and the families of those who have lost their loved ones as a result of failures in the system. Are mental health patients still regarded as equal but somehow different to those with physical ailments.

Mercury And Autism

20030624

20030629

Gerry Northam investigates claims that the mercury in some injections given to babies is linked to the rise in autism.

Minding The Gap: Mental Healthcare

20150519

20150524 (R4)

Mental health services are facing a period of unprecedented change. The Department of Health has committed itself to reducing the disparity between spending on physical and mental illness, and a new payment system means services will be funded differently in the future. In the meantime there are concerns that vulnerable patients are dying because of pressures to release them from hospital too quickly, and a failure to provide adequate support in the community.

Can a new focus on what has traditionally been dubbed a 'Cinderella service' reverse the impact of years of cuts?

Reporter: Adrian Goldberg

Producer: Gail Champion.

Miscarriage Of Justice

20140520

20140525

How effective is the system for investigating miscarriages of justice in England and Wales?

Allan Urry examines cases in which prisoners, campaigners and lawyers say the CCRC doesn't do enough for those who continue to protest their innocence.

Should the Commission be making more use of the latest DNA techniques to re-examine verdicts which relied on circumstantial evidence?

And why did the CCRC twice refuse to pursue the case of a man who spent 17 years in prison for a serious sex crime he didn't commit?

Producer: Rob Cave.

Missing Medicines

20150929

20151004 (R4)

Why is the NHS struggling to get hold of some life-saving medicines for its patients? Allan Urry reveals serious concern over the availability of some drugs used in the treatment of cancer and for pain control. Pharmacists and doctors say they face a daily battle to get access to a range of medicines and either end up buying alternatives at a greater cost to the health service or using less effective alternatives which can compromise patient care. So is the Government doing enough to ensure essential supplies are available? And has Whitehall's drive to push down the NHS drugs bill deterred some manufacturers from supplying the UK?

Reporter: Allan Urry Producer: Emma Forde.

Allan Urry investigates why the NHS is running short of some life-saving medicines.

Mosques And Abuse

20040720

20040725

Zaiba Malik investigates claims that physical and financial abuses are going unchecked in some of Britain's mosques.

The Government is planning to bring in new measures to regulate imams, but do the proposals go far enough?

Zaiba Malik investigates claims that physical and financial abuses are going unchecked in some of Britain's mosques. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Murder Rates

20030617

20030622

The murder rate in England and Wales has risen by more than twenty per cent in the last five years, and some police forces are so stretched, they're having to hire retired detectives to lead murder inquiries.

Allan Urry asks whether we're losing the fight against the most serious of all crimes.

Neglect: The Story Of Uk Homecare

20170228

20170305 (R4)

With an ageing population the need for carers to help elderly people stay healthy and safe in their own homes has never been greater.

From making a meal, to help getting out of bed or having a shower, domiciliary carers provide a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of elderly and vulnerable people. But what happens when things go wrong and carers inflict serious abuse and neglect on the people who depend on them?

Lesley Curwen speaks to the families of elderly people who have been neglected in some cases left for days without proper medication or attention to personal hygiene - with devastating results.

Experts say cuts to local authority care funding, unmanageable workloads and poor training are contributing to the toll of abuse. So how can families be assured that their family member is in safe hands?

And after File on 4 previously uncovered evidence of widespread sex abuse in care homes, we ask whether enough is being done to protect the most vulnerable people in society in their own homes.

Reporter: Lesley Curwen

Producer: Ben Robinson.

An investigation into the state of home care services in the UK.

Neonatal Care

20030225

20030302

Medical errors contribute to the deaths of four babies in Britain every day.

Matthew Hill asks why we still lag behind other European countries in standards of neonatal care.

Nhs Contracts: Tender Issues

20160126

20160131 (R4)

File on 4 uncovers the story behind the collapse of one of the biggest health contracts ever put out to tender. Last April an NHS consortium of Cambridge University Hospitals and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust successfully bid to run older peoples' health services. But in December the £800m, five year contract ended without warning, with local commissioners saying only that it was "no longer financially sustainable." Jane Deith asks what the failure of the Cambridgeshire contract means for the broader policy of trying to improve NHS services by opening massive contracts to competition between Trusts and the private sector.

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

File on 4 investigates the collapse of one of the NHS's biggest healthcare contracts.

Nhs Procurement

20111002

The Department of Health wants to slash £1.2 billion off the bill for hospital supplies -- everything from bandages and rubber gloves to operating tables and medical equipment.

The planned savings form part of the £20 billion in NHS efficiency savings the Government has pledged to make by 2014.

There's plenty of scope for savings. A recent survey found one Hospital Trust bought 177 different types of surgical gloves. Across the NHS, hospitals buy more than 1,700 different kinds of canula. Rationalising this medical shopping list could free-up £500 million a year for investment in patient care, the National Audit Office estimates.

But can the increasingly complex NHS procurement system in England deliver the major savings the Government wants to see?

Critics say Foundation Hospital Trusts increasingly make their own buying decisions, with little or no national co-ordination. Inside hospitals, managers tasked with purchasing millions of pounds worth of equipment often lack the authority or the support of their superiors to drive through savings. Meanwhile new private sector companies are moving in to take over the purchase and supply of NHS equipment.

Will the Government's plans for a more devolved health service help or hinder the drive to save taxpayers' money. Jenny Cuffe investigates.

Producer: Andy Denwood.

Does the NHS spend too much on bandages and syringes? Jenny Cuffe investigates.

There's plenty of scope for savings.

A recent survey found one Hospital Trust bought 177 different types of surgical gloves.

Across the NHS, hospitals buy more than 1,700 different kinds of canula.

Rationalising this medical shopping list could free-up £500 million a year for investment in patient care, the National Audit Office estimates.

Critics say Foundation Hospital Trusts increasingly make their own buying decisions, with little or no national co-ordination.

Inside hospitals, managers tasked with purchasing millions of pounds worth of equipment often lack the authority or the support of their superiors to drive through savings.

Meanwhile new private sector companies are moving in to take over the purchase and supply of NHS equipment.

Will the Government's plans for a more devolved health service help or hinder the drive to save taxpayers' money.

Jane Deith asks if the official figures for hospital waiting times can be trusted.

Hospital waiting times are a key measure of success for the NHS. But do the official figures accurately reflect the reality for patients across the UK?

In Scotland the waiting time data has been called into question after a hospital trust was exposed for manipulating the figures in order to hit its targets. There's now an investigation to see if the practice has become widespread.

In England the Health Secretary has hailed latest statistics showing a fall in the number of people waiting for treatment as a great achievement. However there's evidence which suggests the pressure to meet waiting list targets is leading to gaming of the system.

Jane Deith investigates.

Producer Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Nhs: Pricing Patients

20130702

20130707

With attention on A&E, is there a bigger problem in the way hospitals are funded?

NHS hospitals in England are back in the spotlight with a crisis in A&E and a growing number of cancelled operations. But does the real problem lie in the way the Government is currently funding them?

The Department of Health uses a system called Payment by Results to try to ensure better patient care is delivered more efficiently. However Allan Urry hears from hospitals which say they're being treated unfairly and losing millions because of perverse tariffs which short-change them. Critics say the payments system is no longer fit for purpose.

So how deep is the financial crisis facing our hospitals? Could budget cuts and the rising costs of admissions push some of them over the edge?

PRODUCER: EMMA FORDE

EDITOR: DAVID ROSS.

Northern Ireland: A Bitter Legacy

20140610

20140615

How well is Northern Ireland dealing with the legacy of 30 years of sectarian violence?

More than 15 years ago, the Good Friday Agreement came into force - bringing an end to three decades of violence in Northern Ireland.

At the heart of the peace process is a commitment to bring truth and justice to the bereaved. But many families say they're still waiting.

The peace process also promised to bring Protestants and Catholics closer together. But, in some communities still divided by peace walls, there remains a deep mistrust of their neighbours.

So have politicians failed in their promise to deal with the legacy of the past?

And how much do we really know about the deals that have already been done to protect people from prosecution?

BBC correspondent Chris Buckler investigates.

Producer: David Lewis.

Off Track: Network Rail

20150707

20150712 (R4)

Works behind schedule; costs going up; an inquiry into poor performance announced by the industry regulator. It's a depressingly familiar story on our railways. From brand new station escalators at a standstill in Birmingham, to only 10 per cent of trains on time at one of London's busiest stations, even the Chancellor's planned Northern Powerhouse is threatened as line upgrades between Manchester and York are delayed.

Many hospitals are crumbling and have huge backlogs of required maintenance work. It affects patients - sometimes life-saving operations are being cancelled due to lack of capacity - or practical problems such as leaks or faulty air conditioning.

Money from capital budgets has been used to plug gaps in day to day spending - meaning an ever growing black hole of building work is backing up. So where to get the money?

The Government is adopting plans which would encourage NHS trusts to sell off spare land and try to get money for new buildings from the commercial sector.

But private finance initiatives are no longer an option. Trust deficits make borrowing difficult and hospital leaders say its difficult to get access to the money they need - like wading through treacle, one says - because of perverse rules and regulations.

So how should we pay for much needed life support for our hospitals?

Reporter: Lesley CurwenProducer: Rob CaveEditor: Gail Champion.

On The Critical List? Britain's Ageing Hospitals

20180220

Can the NHS afford to run and replace its ageing hospitals?

Many hospitals are crumbling and have huge backlogs of required maintenance work. It affects patients - sometimes life-saving operations are being cancelled due to lack of capacity - or practical problems such as leaks or faulty air conditioning.

Money from capital budgets has been used to plug gaps in day to day spending - meaning an ever growing black hole of building work is backing up. So where to get the money?

The Government is adopting plans which would encourage NHS trusts to sell off spare land and try to get money for new buildings from the commercial sector.

But private finance initiatives are no longer an option. Trust deficits make borrowing difficult and hospital leaders say its difficult to get access to the money they need - like wading through treacle, one says - because of perverse rules and regulations.

So how should we pay for much needed life support for our hospitals?

Reporter: Lesley CurwenProducer: Rob CaveEditor: Gail Champion.

Can the NHS afford to run and replace its ageing hospitals? Lesley Curwen investigates.

Online Grooming

20170613

File on 4 investigates the true scale of child sexual grooming on social media.

File on 4 reveals the true scale of child sexual grooming and abuse online and asks whether social media companies are doing enough to prevent paedophiles from targeting children. The investigation follows the rape and murder of 15-year-old Kayleigh Haywood from Leicestershire who was groomed online before meeting her killer in person. File on 4 reveals the number of children being groomed online and who are subsequently abused is increasing. Child abuse experts say some social media platforms have ignored repeated calls for better child protection measures and Parliament's Home Affairs Select Committee has accused them of putting profit before safety.

Is the NHS doing enough to combat the crisis in organ donations for transplants? Allan Urry examines the challenge of ensuring more suitable donors are available at a time when those waiting for life saving operations are increasing.

Surgeons are reporting worse outcomes for some patients, as poorer quality organs have to be used because of chronic shortages.

This comes despite a big drive by the Department of Health to improve availability.

But, are opportunities to recover more organs being missed because of the way doctors manage the care of patients who are close to death?

Producer: Paul Grant.

Is the NHS doing enough to combat the crisis in organ donations? Allan Urry investigates.

Is the NHS doing enough to combat the crisis in organ donations for transplants? Allan Urry examines the challenge of ensuring more suitable donors are available at a time when those waiting for life saving operations are increasing. Surgeons are reporting worse outcomes for some patients, as poorer quality organs have to be used because of chronic shortages. This comes despite a big drive by the Department of Health to improve availability. But, are opportunities to recover more organs being missed because of the way doctors manage the care of patients who are close to death?

Organs Failure?

20110327

Is the NHS doing enough to combat the crisis in organ donations for transplants? Allan Urry examines the challenge of ensuring more suitable donors are available at a time when those waiting for life saving operations are increasing. Surgeons are reporting worse outcomes for some patients, as poorer quality organs have to be used because of chronic shortages. This comes despite a big drive by the Department of Health to improve availability. But, are opportunities to recover more organs being missed because of the way doctors manage the care of patients who are close to death?

Producer: Paul Grant.

Is the NHS doing enough to combat the crisis in organ donations? Allan Urry investigates.

Outclassed: The Kids Excluded From School

20170131

Over 300,000 children were excluded from school in England and Wales last year - almost 6 thousand of them permanently.

Many of these children will end up in "alternative provision", sometimes known as pupil referral units (PRUs) - schools for kids that the mainstream can't handle.

But five years on from the Taylor Review, a report that found 'a flawed system' that failed to provide good education and accountability for 'some of the most vulnerable children in the country' - has anything really changed?

File on 4 hears allegations of a system under pressure; of illegal exclusions, 'missing kids' and how some schools are controversially manipulating league tables through 'managed moves'.

We also hear from whistle-blowers from one school who claim an overburdened system and a rise of referrals of kids with extreme and complex needs has led to an increase in the use of physical restraint to manage escalating violent behaviour in classrooms."

Reporter: Adrian Goldberg

Producer: Alys Harte.

Outclassed: The Kids Excluded From School

20170221

20170226 (R4)

Over 300,000 children were excluded from school in England and Wales last year - almost 6 thousand of them permanently.

Many of these children will end up in "alternative provision", sometimes known as pupil referral units (PRUs) - schools for kids that the mainstream can't handle.

But five years on from the Taylor Review, a report that found 'a flawed system' that failed to provide good education and accountability for 'some of the most vulnerable children in the country' - has anything really changed?

File on 4 hears allegations of a system under pressure; of illegal exclusions, 'missing kids' and how some schools are controversially manipulating league tables through 'managed moves'.

We also hear from whistle-blowers from one school who claim an overburdened system and a rise of referrals of kids with extreme and complex needs have led to an increase in the use of physical restraint to manage escalating violent behaviour in classrooms."

Reporter: Adrian Goldberg

Producer: Alys Harte.

An investigation into standards in pupil referral units for children excluded from school.

Paradise Papers: Profits From The Poor

20171107

An investigation into international offshore finance.

What does the leak of files from offshore law firm Appleby reveal about how money is transferred out of the developing world and into the pockets of the rich?

Using leaked documents obtained by German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung and working with the Consortium of Investigative Journalists, File on 4 delves into the records to find out how the rich use secretive tax regimes and corporate structures to divert money via the offshore jurisdiction of Mauritius.

Producer: Anna MeiselReporter: David GrossmanEditor: Gail Champion.

Paralympic Sport - Fair Play?

20170919

Are some countries cheating the paralympic classification system in the pursuit of medals?

The ethos of the paralympic movement is fair and equal competition. At its heart is the classification system designed to ensure people of equal impairment compete against each other.

The International Paralympic Committee has warned that some athletes are exaggerating their disability - known as intentional misrepresentation - in order to get into a more favourable class. It said this was in "grave danger of undermining the credibility of the sport."

File on 4 has spoken to athletes, parents and coaches who say they too are concerned the system is being abused. They claim less disabled athletes are being brought into sports in the quest for medals. Some athletes have decided to quit competing altogether as they no longer believe there is a level playing field. They claim more disabled athletes are being squeezed out of para competition.

The first ever athletes forum for the paralympic movement was held this summer. It too says there is a lack of trust about classification among competitors and called for greater transparency saying athletes should have the ability to raise concerns about fellow competitors.

Is doubt about the current system threatening trust in the paralympic movement?

Reporter: Jane DeithProducer: Paul Grant.

Pension Fund Fraud

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20040808

As companies wrestle with multi-million pound deficits in their pension funds, shareholders and trustees are up in arms and workers have threatened strikes.

Michael Robinson asks why pensions are now the frontline in the battle for financial security.

As companies wrestle with multi-million pound deficits in their pension funds, shareholders and trustees are up in arms and workers have threatened strikes. Michael Robinson asks why pensions are now the frontline in the battle for financial security.

Petrol Prices

20130625

20130630

Are petrol prices manipulated to keep them artificially high?

The way in which oil is traded on commodities markets is coming under close scrutiny. Last month, officers of the European Commission raided the London offices of BP and Shell along with Norway's Statoil company and the leading price reporting agency Platts. They said they were investigating claims of collusion to manipulate the prices of oil and biofuels on the international markets.

A leading city insider tells File On 4 that the price-reporting mechanism for oil is 'wide open to abuse'

So are petrol prices being kept artificially high by hidden forces beyond the normal workings of supply and demand ?

Gerry Northam investigates and asks whether British regulators are proving slow to recognise the potential problem.

Producer: David Lewis.

Pfi Profits

20110614

20110619

For two decades, the Private Finance Initiative has been a controversial way of building new hospitals, schools, roads and prisons. Well over £200bn of taxpayers' money has been committed to the companies managing these projects.

The coalition government describes some PFI contracts as 'ghastly' and wants some of this cash back. One cabinet minister says 'the people on the other side must have been laughing all the way to the bank'.

But, while public services are facing cuts, PFI payments are guaranteed under watertight contracts. So experts say the government can win only small amounts in rebates.

Much of the money has already gone offshore. Huge profits have been made by selling and reselling many contracts in a secretive 'secondary market' - with none of the proceeds returning to the taxpayer.

Gerry Northam investigates gaps in HM Treasury's knowledge of this trade and asks if PFI represents value for public money.

Producer: Rob Cave.

Have taxpayers lost billions of pounds in the secretive resale of PFI contracts?

For two decades, the Private Finance Initiative has been a controversial way of building new hospitals, schools, roads and prisons.

Well over £200bn of taxpayers' money has been committed to the companies managing these projects.

The coalition government describes some PFI contracts as 'ghastly' and wants some of this cash back.

One cabinet minister says 'the people on the other side must have been laughing all the way to the bank'.

But, while public services are facing cuts, PFI payments are guaranteed under watertight contracts.

So experts say the government can win only small amounts in rebates.

Much of the money has already gone offshore.

Huge profits have been made by selling and reselling many contracts in a secretive 'secondary market' - with none of the proceeds returning to the taxpayer.

Pfi Profits

20110619

Have taxpayers lost billions of pounds in the secretive resale of PFI contracts?

Planning Rows

20111016

With the Government's controversial reforms under fire from countryside campaigners, Allan Urry investigates radical changes to the planning system.

Ministers insist more housing is needed, fuelling fears of greenfield sites being bulldozed.

But as they begin to slim down bureaucracy to speed up development, how many more homes are actually getting built?

Under the localism agenda, communities are being told they'll get much more say about who builds what in their neighbourhood.

But what happens if it's a waste incinerator or a power station? The programme reveals how local objections are likely to been given much less consideration.

Police forces in England and Wales are to get an additional fifteen hundred firearms officers to help protect the public from terrorism and organised crime.

Most of the new officers will be trained within the next two years after the Prime Minister, David Cameron, set aside £143m to boost the country's armed response capability.

But is it enough to meet the challenges they face?

The number of firearms officers fell from nearly seven thousand in 2009/10 to under six thousand in 2013/14.

And, despite the extra funding, the Police Federation is concerned the new firearms teams will have to come from existing staff. They say that will deplete the number of officers available for other duties.

BBC Home Affairs Correspondent Danny Shaw investigates - and he examines growing unease at the way in which those who discharge their weapons are dealt with.

Concern has been highlighted by the suspension and arrest of the officer suspected of shooting dead Jermaine Baker in Wood Green in December.

Police representatives tell the programme that while they expect their actions to be investigated, people will not come forward to train as firearms officers if they believe they will be treated like a criminal who fires an illegal weapon.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission acknowledges that firearms officers work in challenging circumstances but maintains that police shootings resulting in death or serious injury should be independently investigated.

Fifteen years ago, promising young footballer Kevin Nunes was shot dead on a country lane in Staffordshire. Five men were convicted of his killing, and jailed for life. But just four years later, their convictions were quashed, following concerns about the way police handled a key prosecution witness.

The Court of Appeal Judge said it appeared to be "a serious perversion of the course of justice," and an investigation was launched into misconduct claims against four of the UK's most senior officers.

Now, as the report into the police investigation is finally released, File on 4 speaks to those at the centre of the saga. Will the family of Kevin Nunes will ever get the justice they seek, and what does the case tell us about police transparency and accountability?

Reporter: Phil MackieProducer: Laura Harmes.

Police Racism

20120605

2012061020120610 (R4)

Why are the police still accused of unfairly treating black and Asian officers?

Is institutional racism still alive in the police? Black and Asian officers claim discrimination is thwarting progress through the ranks and destroying promising careers.

Allan Urry asks if institutional racism is still alive in the police. Black and Asian officers claim discrimination is thwarting progress through the ranks and destroying careers.

Police Restraint

20120131

20120205

Inquests in England are increasingly hearing a new term to explain deaths in police custody: Excited Delirium. It's a diagnosis with origins in the United States, where it has been associated with consumption of massive doses of cocaine. People with ED are said to possess super-human strength and to be largely impervious to pain. They behave bizarrely, sometimes destructively.They often seem paranoid and frequently resist arrest. As police struggle to restrain them they overheat and die.

But critics -- including some British Pathologists -- point out that Excited Delirium is not recognised by the World Health Organisation and that there is a lack of valid research. Civil liberties organisations fear that the diagnosis might be employed to excuse improper use of restraint techniques by police.

For 'File on 4' Angus Stickler has travelled to the cocaine capital of the United States, Miami, where police and scientists are attempting to define and deal with the controversial condition.

And in England he speaks to families whose loved ones have died after being restrained by the police. Is Excited Delirium well-enough understood to be used by courts? And just how many people are dying while being restrained -- either in custody or while being arrested? Are the official figures reliable?

Producer: Andy Denwood.

Angus Stickler investigates deaths in police custody.

Police Restraint

20120205

Angus Stickler investigates deaths in police custody.

Policing The Police

20170516

How effective are attempts to crack down on police misconduct? Mark Gregory reports.

From the Hillsborough Inquest to Plebgate, from the revelations about undercover officers to the shooting of Mark Duggan, the last few years have been as controversial as any in the history of British policing. The government has introduced a range of new measures to try and make the police service more accountable. These have included the strengthening of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, measures to crack down on officers retiring when under investigation, and a new openness surrounding police disciplinary hearings. But have these new ideas really worked or is there, as some claim, real resistance to accountability?

File on 4 investigates a series of cases of alleged wrongdoing brought against the police by both members of the public and by serving officers. We look at some of the tactics police forces still appear to be using to avoid scrutiny, and we ask : despite the new measures, how much has really changed?

GPs are under pressure to do more. The Government wants surgeries to open seven days a week and the Labour Party say they'll ensure people get appointments within 48 hours. But, at the same time, there are warnings that the family doctor service in England is on the brink of extinction because of a "perfect storm" of funding cuts and growing demand.

Jenny Cuffe meets two doctors - one in rural Yorkshire, who is about to lose a quarter of his funding and does not know how he can keep his surgery doors open and the other struggling to cope with the volume of patients in her busy urban practice in Salford.

One in seven primary care practices in England reports having to make redundancies as a result of the Government spending squeeze.

Recruitment for new GPs is still to hit Government targets and more doctors are leaving general practice through retirement or to work abroad.

So are the promises of greater access to your GP really deliverable?

GPs are under pressure do more. The Government wants surgeries to open seven days a week and the Labour Party say they'll ensure people get appointments within 48 hours. But, at the same time, there are warnings that the family doctor service in England is on the brink of extinction because of a "perfect storm" of funding cuts and growing demand.

TB remains a killer disease, how effective are attempts to find a better vaccine?

Around 1.5 million people die from tuberculosis each year. The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine was introduced nearly a hundred years ago, but is only partially effective against the bacterium that causes TB.

With so many infected and the BCG vaccine only 60% effective, a race is on to develop a better way of preventing TB. Hundreds of millions of public and philanthropic money has been poured into this quest. For researchers, the competition for this pot of money is fierce.

A new vaccine called MVA85A developed by scientists in Oxford as a booster to BCG was heralded as a possible solution. But when it was trialed on nearly 3000 infants in South Africa it didn't offer any further significant protection.

File on 4 investigates the outcome of tests carried out on monkeys and asks to what extent animal trials are used to help decide whether to go on to test in humans.

How do regulators and ethics committees decide to give their approval and who is looking out for the people who volunteer to take part?

Reporter: Deborah CohenProducer: Paul Grant.

Prison Violence

20150113

20150118 (R4)

With serious assaults at a record high, is there a crisis unfolding in the prison system?

With serious assaults at a record high, File on 4 investigates the growing tension within Britain's prisons.

In the first of a new series, BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw meets recently released prisoners and families of those inside to hear about their safety fears.

And he talks to the Prison Officers Association about their concerns for the frontline members who they say are facing unprecedented levels of pressure and danger in a "chaotic" system.

The Howard League for Penal Reform has used Ministry of Justice figures to calculate that around 40% of prison officer jobs have been cut - leaving inmates spending longer locked in their cells and less time preparing for their release.

Lawyers and campaigners tell File on 4 that overcrowding and gang activity are adding to a "toxic mix" of problems leading to instability and tension.

Twenty five years after the prison system was shaken by a series of riots centring on Strangeways in Manchester, is a new crisis starting to unfold?

File on 4 goes inside Altcourse Prison in Liverpool to meet the staff trying to stem the supply of drugs into the jail.

Perimeter security has been tightened, searches have been stepped up and new technology is being trialled as officers deal with the influx of new psychoactive substances, such as spice, and more 'traditional' banned drugs, including cannabis and heroin.

More widely, across England and Wales, the availability of drugs in prisons is posing huge challenges to their stability, as well as the health and safety of inmates and officers.

Some prisoners are so desperate to feed their addiction they secrete drugs inside their bodies to by-pass security; others persuade or pressurise friends and family to bring them in.

The demand for contraband is so great that a lucrative trade has developed behind bars, co-ordinated by criminal gangs who use threats, violence and exploitation.

In some cases, vulnerable people are coerced into smuggling drugs, acting as "mules", at great risk to themselves. Offenders who've been let out on licence have been known deliberately to breach the conditions of their release, so they can take supplies into jail when they're sent back there. Some drug-dependent prisoners rack up massive debts which their families are expected to pay off. The BBC's Home Affairs Correspondent Danny Shaw meets those who've got caught up in the sophisticated markets in operation inside the system and reaching out into communities.

The Government has promised to tackle the problem by improving intelligence, investing in new serious and organised crime teams and separating ringleaders from other prisoners.

But ministers are also being urged to improve provision for those who are in the grip of addiction by offering treatment, rehabilitation and opportunities when they leave custody.

Reporter: Danny ShawProducer: Sally ChesworthEditor: Gail Champion.

Private Equity: Winners And Losers

20141104

20141109 (R4)

Recent high-profile collapses of high street names such as Comet, Phones4U and other companies have left thousands of people out of work and have cost the taxpayer millions in statutory redundancy payments and unpaid taxes. This week File on 4 goes behind the headlines to examine the role of the companies' private equity backers. Were these failed businesses which were bound to have to close? Or might they have survived for longer under different ownership? Fran Abrams investigates.

Producer: Emma Forde.

Private Finance Initiative

20040706

20040711

As taxpayers spend billions on hospitals, schools and roads under the Private Finance Initiative, the government says we get good value for money.

So how can private companies make multi-million pound windfalls simply by juggling their PFI contracts?

Will the investigation into journalist Jonathan MOYLE's death in Santiago prove a test of Chile's emerging democracy? Can the civilian administration succeed in controlling human rights violations and booming arms sales?

SBH:Crack On the Front Line - An investigation into police tactics in dealing with the growing use of the drug Crack.

Reporter: Helen Boaden.

Broadcast history

10 Apr 1990 00:00-00:00 (RADIO 4)

Contributors

Colin Sykes (rdr)

Mark Rowlinson (rdr)

Paul Sapins (rdr)

Helen Boaden (Speaker)

Roy Ramm (Speaker)

Derek Todd (Speaker)

Barry Price (Speaker)

Steve Tippell (Speaker)

Rod Ellis (Speaker)

Chris Flint (Speaker)

Angel Feliciano (Speaker)

Notes: CAIRS 453966.

Programme Catalogue - Details: Egypt

19901003

Producer: L.

ALKER

Next in series: BUSH AND GULF

Previous in series: BSE

Description

Radio 4's investigative documentary series.

Helen BOADEN reports - Egypt wants to emerge from the Gulf Crisis as a pivotal power in the Middle East, but are there risks in President Mubarak's tough stand against Iraq? Produced by Nicola Meyrick and Gerry Northam.

Reporter Eric Robson appraises the international role of Britain's railway system, standing as it does, only 3 years from the opening of the Channel Tunnel link with Europe's integrated high-speed rail network.

SBH:Shipbuilding in Sunderland: a year after the men left the yards for the last time, Helen Boaden asks whether the government was right to abandon the industry and if, as its critics claim, the D.T.I.

sometimes known as a 'gagging order' - is increasingly used by the Government and its agencies to prevent juries from seeing sensitive information.

But, after criticism from the European Count of Human Rights, Fran Abrams asks whether British justice is being corroded by a culture of secrecy.

Public, Private And Profitable

20121023

20121028

After the West Coast rail debacle, Michael Robinson investigates government outsourcing.

The midnight collapse of the Government's plans for the West Coast main railway line once again raises questions about the outsourcing of public services to private providers.

Public bodies of all kinds now face massive budget cuts and are under pressure to deliver savings. As a result, across the country, public services of all kinds are now up for tender in the hope they can be delivered more cheaply by the private sector.

With relatively straightforward things such as refuse collection, there's general agreement that experience to date shows outsourcing can work, and can save the taxpayer money.

But with complex services in education, health or transport, the picture is far less clear.

Michael Robinson investigates the outsourcing of these complex public services and uncovers another, as yet unreported, example of huge profits being earned by major private companies at taxpayers' expense.

Producer: Rob Cave.

Recoiling The Arab Spring

20121016

20121021

What threat does a growing fundamentalist branch of Islam pose to Arab Spring countries?

The ultra-conservative Salafist movement, which is said to be the fastest growing branch of Islam, has been blamed for being behind many of the recent violent protests over an anti-Muslim film which appeared on the internet. Jenny Cuffe investigates the spread of Salafism across the countries of the Arab Spring. She asks what threat it poses to democracy in the whole region and also examines concerns in Europe that Salafists now represent a significant security risk.

Presenter: Jenny Cuffe

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Recruiting Terrorists

20040210

20040215

With continuing concern over the threat posed by al Qaeda and other terrorist organisations, Paul Kenyon investigates the methods which have been used to recruit would-be bombers in Britain, and asks whether militant groups still have too much freedom to operate here.

Repeat Offenders

20140218

20140223

Probation staff are currently being told where they will be working under a radical reform of the service. The government is transferring the management of low and medium risk offenders to private companies and high risk cases will be handled by a national probation service.

The Justice Secretary, Chris Grayling, says the reforms are necessary to cut reoffending rates and save money which will be ploughed back into providing support to all prisoners who have served less than 12 months.

But opponents claim the reforms are being rushed in and will put the public at risk.

Last month, it was announced the plans have been delayed. They were due to come into effect in May but the start date has been put back until July.

The new private providers will only be paid in full if they achieve a reduction in reoffending. The programme speaks to one of the companies bidding for the contracts which says payment by results will lead to innovation and visits a prison which says it is already achieving success in a pilot scheme working with prisoners serving under 12 months.

But Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw also talks to probation staff about their fears for the future of partnership working and hears why some of them are threatening to quit the service.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Revolving Doors

20110726

20110731

Each year scores of senior civil servants and ex-government ministers quit Whitehall for higher-paid posts in business.

Companies in the fields of defence, health, energy and transport are particularly keen to recruit experienced politicians, policy makers and managers with close links to the wheels of power and procurement.

This is the so-called "revolving door" between government and the world of commerce and industry.

In recent years a free flow of talent both ways has been encouraged in the name of both efficiency and better communication between Whitehall and the wider world.

But Government orders for goods and services are worth billions of £'s every year, and critics say the system is vulnerable to abuse and conflict of interest.

For 'File on 4' Julian O'Halloran examines the effectiveness of the independent committee whose job it is to police the divide and protect the public interest.

Producer: Andy Denwood.

Is there a conflict of interest when public servants take private sector jobs?

Each year scores of senior civil servants and ex-government ministers quit Whitehall for higher-paid posts in business. Companies in the fields of defence, health, energy and transport are particularly keen to recruit experienced politicians, policy makers and managers with close links to the wheels of power and procurement. This is the so-called "revolving door" between government and the world of commerce and industry. In recent years a free flow of talent both ways has been encouraged in the name of both efficiency and better communication between Whitehall and the wider world. But Government orders for goods and services are worth billions of £'s every year, and critics say the system is vulnerable to abuse and conflict of interest. For 'File on 4' Julian O'Halloran examines the effectiveness of the independent committee whose job it is to police the divide and protect the public interest.

Revolving Doors

20110731

Is there a conflict of interest when public servants take private sector jobs?

Rigged Markets?

20140923

20140928

Is a new scandal about to engulf the UK's banking industry? Was LIBOR just the tip of the iceberg?

Regulators around the world are looking at the way important financial benchmarks have been calculated. These are used to set the value of pension funds, investments and international contracts worth billions of pounds. Financial regulators in the UK, across Europe and in the US are investigating whether the benchmarks have been rigged to increase bank profits - and to short change their customers.

Banks are already receiving big fines over the LIBOR interest rate scandal but the focus is now shifting to the way prices in the foreign exchange, gold and interest rate swap markets have been set. Reporter Lesley Curwen assesses the evidence that banks have got together to manipulate the markets and asks what it means for the reputation of London as a global financial sector and public confidence in banking.

Producer: David Lewis.

Rising Crime Against Asian Britains

20040615

20040620

Barnie Choudhury reveals how British Asians are being hit by a rise in serious and violent crime, and gets exclusive access to the elite police unit at the head of the fight-back.

Rogue Hauliers

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20170312 (R4)

In January a haulage boss and his mechanic were jailed for a tipper truck crash which killed four people. The brakes on six of the truck's eight wheels weren't working properly. The expert examiner from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency said Grittenham Haulage's vehicle would have been taken off the road if it had been stopped in a roadside check.

But are there sufficient roadside and on-site checks to detect safety breaches?

File on 4 uncovers cases where unsafe vehicles and drivers were allowed to remain on the roads, despite known concerns.

So does the current system of regulation and punishment go far enough to deter rogue operators who drive some of the most dangerous vehicles on our roads?

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: David Lewis.

An investigation into how lethal lorries posing a danger to the public remain on the roads

Rumanian Child Slavery

20031209

20031214

Jenny Cuffe reports on major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Russian Riches

20130205

20130210

London is home for many rich Russians. But how much are they vetted on arrival?

Surrey police are probing the mystery death of a Russian exile who was helping to locate millions of dollars missing from the Russian treasury. City experts claim London is one of the routes for those laundering the proceeds of Russian crime. Britain is also now a destination of choice for many wealthy Russians. But how much do we know about some of those who choose to settle here? Internationally, there's tension between Washington and Moscow over the Magnitsky Act, in which the US introduced new sanctions for Russian officials suspected of corruption, freezing their assets and barring their entry to America. Prominent MPs are arguing for similar measures here. So is Britain too lax in cases where suspicions are raised?

Reporter: Julian O'Halloran

Producer: David Lewis.

Second-class Patients?

20121106

20121111

Are people with learning disabilities dying unnecessarily because of poor care in the NHS?

Britain has 1.5 million people with learning difficulties, and the number is growing. Campaigners say the health service is struggling to cope: the number of specialist nurses is falling, and though extra support is supposed to be available for this vulnerable group, hospitals and other health facilities often struggle even to identify them.

Families say their relatives have been left to die in pain - and in some cases people who were not dying have had 'do not resuscitate' orders placed on their notes without being told. The learning disabled are more likely to be ill, more likely to be obese or underweight and more likely to die prematurely. And with health service cuts starting to bite, are things set to get worse? Fran Abrams reports.

Producer: Gail Champion.

Secret Justice

20120619

20120624

Are plans for secrecy in some civil courts necessary to protect national security?

Ministers want to extend secret hearings to Britain's civil courts - so judges can deal with the increasing number of cases involving the intelligence services.

Justice Secretary Ken Clarke says it is the only way that judges can hear the testimony of spies working for MI5, MI6 or GCHQ. Getting them to give evidence in open court is not an option, he says.

A small number of courts already hold secret sessions to consider appeals from individuals facing deportation on evidence compiled by the security services. But how well does the system work? File on 4 hears evidence from lawyers who are concerned about the quality of some of the testimony given behind closed doors.

And the programme has learned of a growing number of closed justice cases being heard in Employment Tribunals where people are claiming they were sacked because they pose a risk to national security. Because the Tribunals are hearing evidence in secret, the claimants are unable to get further details of why they were dismissed.

Gerry Northam explores the operation of secret justice in British courts and asks whether its extension to more cases would be in the national interest.

Producer: David Lewis.

Shaken Babies?

20110208

20110220

Each year, around 250 parents and carers are accused of killing or injuring children by shaking them or inflicting some other form of head injury.

But an acrimonious scientific debate over the theory behind so-called Shaken Baby Syndrome, has turned toxic among the expert witnesses whose evidence is so critical in determining guilt or innocence.

Andrew Hosken examines claims of a campaign of dirty tricks to discredit those who question the orthodoxy and hears calls from one of the country's leading pathologists for an inquiry.

The Crown Prosecution Service has issued new guidelines regarding so called shaken baby cases.

It comes at a time when the scientific debate between some medical experts appears as divided as ever.

Those acting for the prosecution say the so called triad of internal head injuries is a strong pointer to a baby having been deliberately shaken, while defence experts say there can be other accidental or natural causes.

Andrew Hosken investigates the science behind the debate and uncovers concerns that experts on both sides may be deterred from acting in court cases because of the continuing controversy around the issue.

The Crown Prosecution Service has issued new guidelines regarding so called shaken baby cases. It comes at a time when the scientific debate between some medical experts appears as divided as ever. Those acting for the prosecution say the so called triad of internal head injuries is a strong pointer to a baby having been deliberately shaken, while defence experts say there can be other accidental or natural causes.

Shaken Babies?

20110215

20110220 (R4)

Each year, around 250 parents and carers are accused of killing or injuring children by shaking them or inflicting some other form of head injury. But an acrimonious scientific debate over the theory behind so-called Shaken Baby Syndrome, has turned toxic among the expert witnesses whose evidence is so critical in determining guilt or innocence.

Andrew Hosken examines claims of a campaign of dirty tricks to discredit those who question the orthodoxy and hears calls from one of the country's leading pathologists for an inquiry.

Each year, around 250 parents and carers are accused of killing or injuring children by shaking them or inflicting some other form of head injury. But an acrimonious scientific debate over the theory behind so-called Shaken Baby Syndrome, has turned toxic among the expert witnesses whose evidence is so critical in determining guilt or innocence.

Andrew Hosken examines claims of a campaign of dirty tricks to discredit those who question the orthodoxy and hears calls from one of the country's leading pathologists for an inquiry.

Who protects the residents of sheltered housing schemes from abuse or neglect?

There are more than half a million people living in sheltered housing, accommodation that offers additional support to the elderly, disabled or vulnerable.

But currently, in England, these schemes aren't overseen by the independent regulator of health and social care the Care Quality Commission and councils aren't required to record cases of abuse and neglect in sheltered housing.

It is leading to growing concerns that many vulnerable residents are hidden away and left to suffer without the authorities ever knowing there is a problem.

With a move to care being provided via direct payments, its likely the demand for sheltered accommodation will grow. But there's concern that new developments are being shelved due to ongoing uncertainty over funding.

File on 4 speaks to people who have been taken advantage of while living in sheltered accommodation, who feel they were sitting ducks for people looking to prey on the vulnerable.

And when things do go wrong, with an absence of regulation are there sufficient mechanisms to prevent the same things from happening again?

With fees costing as much as £9,000 a year, universities must operate in an increasingly cut-throat market place. At a time when budgets in some institutions are being stretched, students are demanding more for their money.

Against a backdrop of rising complaints, the new Competition and Markets authority is considering whether to launch an investigation.

So are students getting what they pay for? And when they don't, can they get the problem fixed in a timely manner?

Why are some students taking to the courts to try to get redress?

Fran Abrams has been examining the universities' record.

Which of them have seen the biggest rise in student concerns, and which have managed to buck the trend?

Producer: Emma Forde.

Sick Of School

20150317

20150322 (R4)

Is the pressure on teachers reaching crisis point?

Record numbers are leaving the classroom and thousands of teachers recently responded to the Government's workload survey to say they were struggling with their workload. They blamed the pressure of Ofsted inspections and pressure from school management.

Official absence statistics are silent on the causes of sick leave - but now File on 4 reveals new figures on the number of teachers off long-term because of stress.

Jane Deith hears from those who say they were pushed to the brink by the pressure - some suicidal and others hospitalized or diagnosed with depression.

Teaching has always involved long hours and heavy workloads but, with schools' performance open to unprecedented scrutiny, some education academics argue that the 'surveillance culture' is now seriously harming teacher's health and their ability to provide high quality education.

Are they right? How alarmed should we be about the mental well-being of our children's teachers?

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Matt Precey.

Smuggling Bushmeat

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20041031

With bushmeat now big business in parts of the UK, there's growing concern that the illegal trade could spread deadly diseases to humans and the animal population here.

Angus Stickler investigates the supply chain from West Africa into Britain, and asks whether enough is being done to crack down on those who hunt and smuggle some of the world's most endangered species for the dinner table.

With bushmeat now big business in parts of the UK, there's growing concern that the illegal trade could spread deadly diseases to humans and the animal population here. Angus Stickler investigates the supply chain from West Africa into Britain, and asks whether enough is being done to crack down on those who hunt and smuggle some of the world's most endangered species for the dinner table.

Speaking Up - Whistleblowing In The Nhs

20170207

20170212 (R4)

Two years ago the first independent report into the treatment of whistle-blowers in the NHS was published.

The Freedom to Speak Up report was commissioned by the government amid concerns not enough progress had been made to create a more open culture within the NHS following the Mid Staffs inquiry which unearthed the poor care and high mortality rates at Stafford Hospital.

The report - which considered evidence from 600 individuals and 43 organisations across the country included chilling accounts of doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals whose lives and careers had been destroyed after trying to raise legitimate concerns about patient safety.

Whistle-blowers said they'd been left financially ruined, blacklisted and sent to the brink of suicide after being branded snitches and trouble-makers.

Revealing a continuing culture of secrecy with trusts demonising whistle-blowers instead of welcoming and investigating their concerns, it was hoped the report would herald a new era of openness and accountability.

File on 4 investigates what has happened since and asks whether measures put in place to protect those speaking out about patient safety are fit for purpose.

Doctors who have spoken up since say they've faced the same catalogue of bullying and abuse by their employers, and in some cases, the focus remains on protecting reputations of Trusts, rather than addressing poor care. So is the culture changing quickly enough?

Reporter: Simon Cox

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Special Guardianships: Keeping Things In The Family?

20160301

20160306 (R4)

Special guardianship orders are a way of giving legal status to those - usually grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters - who come forward to care for children when their parents can't. SGOs were designed to let children grow up with family, instead of in care - once a relative is granted special guardianship, the council steps backs and the guardian can raise the child without social services interfering.

The use of special guardianship orders has been rising-last year more than 3,000 of them were made.

But special guardianship breaks down more often - and more quickly - than adoption.

And in some cases children have been neglected, abused, or murdered.

The family court service Cafcass and the Association of Directors of Children's Services have warned that weak assessments of the risks of family placements are a 'real risk' for children.

The government has re-written the law on how special guardians are assessed. But with court deadlines and growing pressure on social workers and budgets, will it make children safer? Jane Deith investigates.

Producer: Emma Forde.

More than thirteen thousand children have been placed with special guardians.

The family court service Cafcass and the Association of Directors of Children's Services have warned the government weak assessments of the risks of family placements are a 'real risk' for children. A top judge in the family court has said judges should avoid special guardianship orders until the problems are solved.

The government is re-writing the law on how special guardians are assessed. But with court deadlines and growing pressure on social workers and budgets, will it make children safer? Jane Deith investigates.

Squalid Prisons - Who's To Blame?

20180313

20180318 (R4)

Have private contracts for prison maintenance made our jails more dangerous?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

The collapse of the construction giant Carillion has focused attention on the contracts it had with the Government, one of which involved cleaning, landscaping and maintenance at 50 prisons in the south of England.

The prison contract came into effect in 2015, but within months major problems started to emerge, as prisoners, staff and inspectors reported long delays in getting cells, windows and toilets repaired.

The Ministry of Justice acknowledged that Carillion was under-performing and ordered the company to pay back millions of pounds - but its contract was allowed to continue until the work was taken in-house after the firm folded last month.

There've also been growing concerns about another contractor, Amey, which has a maintenance contract at 61 prisons in the north of England, the Midlands and Wales.

Amey's work came under the spotlight at Liverpool Jail which was described in a recent report as "squalid", with prisoners living in damp, dirty and cockroach-infested conditions.

The contracts, which are worth £200 million over five years, were intended to deliver savings of £115 million.

But Ministers have admitted that the Government won't achieve the economies it wanted to because it under-estimated how much it costs to maintain jails.

They say the new government-owned facilities management company which has taken on Carillion's work will secure "significant improvements" and have pledged to strengthen the management and oversight of its contract with Amey to deliver a better service.

But the Prison Officers Association says the failure to maintain prisons properly has fuelled frustration behind bars, contributed to increasing levels of violence and endangered the health and welfare of inmates.

File on 4 explores the background to the prisons maintenance contracts, the impact out-sourcing has had on prisoners, staff and the public and whether the solution lies in greater state control, an end to private sector involvement or more investment.

Reporter: Danny ShawProducer: Sally ChesworthEditor: Gail Champion.

The collapse of the construction giant Carillion has focused attention on the contracts it had with the Government, one of which involved cleaning, landscaping and maintenance at 50 prisons in the south of England.

The prison contract came into effect in 2015, but within months major problems started to emerge, as prisoners, staff and inspectors reported long delays in getting cells, windows and toilets repaired.

The Ministry of Justice acknowledged that Carillion was under-performing and ordered the company to pay back millions of pounds - but its contract was allowed to continue until the work was taken in-house after the firm folded last month.

There've also been growing concerns about another contractor, Amey, which has a maintenance contract at 61 prisons in the north of England, the Midlands and Wales.

Amey's work came under the spotlight at Liverpool Jail which was described in a recent report as "squalid", with prisoners living in damp, dirty and cockroach-infested conditions.

The contracts, which are worth £200 million over five years, were intended to deliver savings of £115 million.

But Ministers have admitted that the Government won't achieve the economies it wanted to because it under-estimated how much it costs to maintain jails.

They say the new government-owned facilities management company which has taken on Carillion's work will secure "significant improvements" and have pledged to strengthen the management and oversight of its contract with Amey to deliver a better service.

But the Prison Officers Association says the failure to maintain prisons properly has fuelled frustration behind bars, contributed to increasing levels of violence and endangered the health and welfare of inmates.

File on 4 explores the background to the prisons maintenance contracts, the impact out-sourcing has had on prisoners, staff and the public and whether the solution lies in greater state control, an end to private sector involvement or more investment.

Reporter: Danny ShawProducer: Sally ChesworthEditor: Gail Champion.

Street Slaves

20140513

20140518

The Government has introduced a draft Modern Slavery Bill which is aimed at making it simpler to prosecute human traffickers and which will bring in life sentences for such offences.

But who are the victims of modern day slavery in the UK and how organised are the gangs who prey upon them?

While much concern has focused on people trafficked into the country, Jane Deith reveals how the most vulnerable in society such as the homeless and people with learning difficulties are being targeted by gangs who pick them off the streets with the offer of money and accommodation. But many say they end up working long hours for little or no pay and are too frightened to leave. Some - including people from the UK - are taken abroad to countries such as Sweden and Norway to pave driveways and other labouring jobs. Others are working in the construction industry here but being paid much less than the minimum wage.

Police say the traffickers and those who exploit the homeless and vulnerable are highly organised and often use their victims' identities to open bank accounts and commit further crimes such as benefit fraud, netting thousands of pounds and leaving their victims with huge debts.

So who's monitoring the marginalised? Will the new Bill do enough to deal with the dark side of Britain's labour market?

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Paul Grant.

Sunni Shia Splits?

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20160221 (R4)

Are international conflicts creating tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims in the UK?

Shabnam Mahmood reports from both Sunni and Shia communities and reveals how divisive messages from the Middle East are fuelling intolerance here.

One Shia man tells the programme: "It is now becoming quite dangerous. It is an attack on me as a Shia that really scares me."

Mahmood reports from one of an increasing number of unity events being staged across the country to foster good relations. A Sunni imam tells her: "These are dangerous times and the religious leadership need to be seen to be doing things to bring communities together."

So can such work prevent tensions escalating in the face of the sectarian propaganda that's increasingly available online and on satellite television channels?

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Targeting The Vulnerable

20150505

20150510 (R4)

It's taken a long time to break through the culture of denial, but child sexual exploitation cases from Rochdale to Oxford have shown that grooming of children can happen in any community.

There seems to be a growing acceptance that what the Deputy Children's Commissioner says is true: 'there isn't a town, village of hamlet in which children are not being sexually exploited'.

Councils that thought they were immune from groomers and traffickers, are now training staff to spot child sexual exploitation. And children are being taught how to avoid falling prey.

But, as children become more aware of grooming, are abusers increasingly turning their attention to people with learning disabilities?

In the first of a new series, File on 4 hears warnings from disability workers and detectives that abusers are increasingly targeting people with disabilities - because they're less likely to know what grooming is, less likely to tell, and if they do, their case is far less likely to go to court.

Jane Deith visits the only safe house in the UK for women with learning disabilities who've been victims of rape and sexual exploitation, and hears even this secret address is now on the radar of gangs trying to groom the residents.

Women with learning disabilities tell their stories of being groomed and exploited, how they eventually broke their silence, only to be told the crimes would not be prosecuted. Of an estimated 1400 cases of sexual abuse each year, only 1% result in a conviction.

If offenders aren't being punished, can we prevent the abuse by protecting those at risk? Councils worried someone is being exploited can go to the Court of Protection for permission to restrict their relationships on the grounds they don't have the mental capacity to consent to sex. But it's a difficult thing to rule on. File on 4 hears from disability workers who say men and women are being left open to rape and abuse, but also from campaigners who say the state is denying people their fundamental human right to sexual relationships.

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Sally Chesworth.

How sexual abusers are increasingly targeting people with learning difficulties.

Tax Avoidance

20120313

20120318

Tax Avoidance

20120318

How strong is the government's commitment to ending schemes set up to minimise tax? A number of schemes have proved popular in the private sector, including Employee Benefit Trusts. These have been used by football clubs for tax planning purposes, but are now in the sights of HMRC as it attempts to recoup what it sees as unpaid tax. But how widespread are these trust schemes and why are they so popular with companies that have large government contracts?

As the Treasury reviews tax avoidance by senior government employees, it has emerged that employees in other parts of the public sector are using payment schemes that keep them off the payroll. There is growing concern that paying public servants through personal service companies may be inappropriate.

How tax-compliant are the citizens of the United Kingdom? Is there a risk that publicity about the tax-avoidance schemes of the rich, coupled with easier access to information via the internet, could lead to more people trying to cut their contributions?

Presenter: Fran Abrams

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

As the Treasury reviews tax avoidance, Fran Abrams asks - how widespread is the problem?

Taxing Questions

20130129

20130203

After a series of controversies over the tax bills of multinationals such as Google and Starbucks, ministers have been talking tough about avoidance. But as new tax rules come into operation, Fran Abrams looks at the reality behind the rhetoric. Will these new regulations halt the decline in corporate tax revenues? And why were so many major companies involved in writing them - even as their own tax affairs were coming under scrutiny?

Producer: Rob Cave.

Tennis: Game, Set And Fix?

20160119

20160124 (R4)

Have the tennis authorities done enough to investigate allegations of match-fixing?

File on 4 reveals secret evidence of match fixing in tennis and investigates claims that sport's governing bodies have failed to act on repeated warnings about suspect players. The programme has seen confidential documents which reveal how some were linked to gambling syndicates in Russia and Italy which won hundreds of thousands of pounds betting on matches they played in. A number of those who have been repeatedly flagged on fixing lists passed to the game's Tennis Integrity Unit have continued to attract highly suspicious gambling activity. Reporter Simon Cox also has an exclusive interview with one of the most high profile players to be banned for match fixing who says the problem is widespread in the sport.

Reporter Simon Cox Producer Paul Grant.

Tennis: The Italian Files

20160315

20160320 (R4)

Two months ago a File on 4 investigation into match-fixing in tennis made headlines around the world.

The programme revealed how tennis authorities had received repeated alerts in the past decade about 16 players, all of whom have been in the top 50.

It also questioned the effectiveness of the sport's watchdog, the Tennis Integrity Unit.

Now, in a follow up programme, Simon Cox reveals new allegations of corruption and further evidence of the involvement of gambling syndicates in trying to influence the outcome of matches.

Officials from the governing bodies of tennis have already been interviewed by MPs about the findings of the original programme. They have also appointed a prominent London barrister to head an independent review into anti-corruption policies and practices.

The UK is said to have more accountants than almost any other nation on earth. Thanks to reforms in the way the public sector is run, the "Big Four" accountancy firms and the accountancy profession generally has become more powerful and more influential than ever before. But what do these accountants actually do and what does it mean for taxpayers?

To find out, Simon Cox meets the residents of Birmingham, who are dealing with the reality of the accountants' decisions. And he speaks to the nation's top accountants to ask how their profession is changing and what the future holds.

The last 20 years have seen many services which used to be run by local councils outsourced to the private sector. Capita, formed by a former government accountant, has taken the lion's share of these contracts, which often involve a team of Capita accountants deciding where to make cuts in local services. In Birmingham a massive IT and 'business transformation' contract between Capita and the City Council is proving highly controversial - with claims that it is diverting money away from public services and into private sector profit.

Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) form another kind of management model which accountants helped create and which added to the growth of the Big Four accountancy firms - Deloitte, Ernst and Young, KPMG and PriceWaterhouseCoopers - over the last two decades. Birmingham is home to one of the biggest PFI contracts ever signed, with a private contractor in charge of roads, trees and street lights. Have the accountants engineered a good deal for Birmingham?

The next big growth area for the accountants is the NHS as doctors seek their help in commissioning and managing local services under the health service reforms. But what does this mean for the people on the NHS front line?

Reporter: Simon Cox

Producer: Lucy Proctor.

The Aid Business

20150630

20150705 (R4)

The UK's £12 billion pound foreign aid budget is one of the few areas of Government spending protected from cuts. The commitment to spend 0.7% of Britain's gross national income on aid means at least 60 billion pounds will be spent on overseas development in the next five years. Many of these projects are delivered by large companies that receive tens of millions of pounds from DFID (the Department for International Development). They can charge over a thousand pounds a day for a consultant and their directors earn six figure salaries but how effective are they are and the programmes they are paid to deliver? Simon Cox investigates the UK's aid industry and asks how taxpayers can know that they're getting value for money.

Reporter: Simon Cox Producer: Gail Champion.

The Bill For Brussels

20130212

20130217

21 years after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, Britain is trying to cut the cost of the European Union.

As the institution comes of age, Gerry Northam asks whether the EU's spending on itself has become excessive and - if so - whether member states do anything about it.

In Brussels, hundreds of millions of pounds have been found for projects described by Eurosceptics as "self-aggrandisement". An art deco showpiece is being transformed into a new headquarters for the European Council at a cost of around 300 million Euros (£250m). A further 55 million Euros (£46m) is going to create a House of European History - a museum celebrating European integration. A new 20 million Euros (£17m) visitors' centre at the European Parliament, called the Parlamentarium, has been dismissed as a multimedia tribute to itself.

Meanwhile alarm has been raised that money the United Kingdom designates as aid for developing countries is being diverted by Europe to encourage Turkey, Serbia and others to join the Union. MPs claim this money directly disadvantages Britain.

Critics say Europe's expansion comes with an unnecessarily large price tag. Are they right?

Reporter: Gerry Northam

Producer: Chris Doidge.

The Billion-dollar Aid Question

20151027

20151101 (R4)

The UK is giving a billion pounds of aid to Syrian refugees. But is it being well spent?

As the crisis in Syria deepens and refugees flock westwards, the UK government insists it is helping with a £1.1bn aid package to neighbouring countries - but is it being spent wisely?

Simon Cox tracks money going from the UK to projects on the ground in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, trying to find out how much eventually gets to refugees. It's easy to see how funding an NGO to build new homes for Syrians is money well spent. But can the same be said for the hundreds of millions of pounds that go through the United Nations?

The programme hears from aid workers, UN officials, refugees and UN investigators about cuts to food rations against a backdrop of high salaries and overheads.

So is the UN up to the job of managing a modern-day refugee crisis?

Producer: Lucy Proctor.

The Cancer Drugs Fund

20160607

20160612 (R4)

Over the past five years thousands of patients in England have been given access to new but expensive cancer drugs through a special Cancer Drugs Fund. But critics argue that hundreds of millions have been spent on drugs that offered poor value for money with sometimes limited effects. The Fund is now being reformed but cancer charities have written to the Prime Minister to express deep concern that drugs will now struggle to gain approval. Phil Kemp investigates the record of the Cancer Drugs Fund and asks if the proposed changes will offer better value for money or access for patients.

Reporter: Phil Kemp

Producer: Anna Meisel.

How will the new Cancer Drugs Fund cope with the challenges of rising cost and demand?

The Cost Of A Cuppa

20150908

20150913 (R4)

Tea is still the UK's favourite drink - but what's the human cost of a cuppa?

In the first of a new series of File on 4, Jane Deith reports from Assam on the plight of workers on tea plantations which help supply some of Britain's best known brands.

India is one of the largest tea producers in the world with an industry worth billions of pounds - but critics say pickers often have to endure long working hours and insanitary conditions, leading to poor health and high levels of maternal and infant mortality.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

The Cost Of A Kidney

20170124

20170129 (R4)

In the UK three people die every day waiting for an organ transplant. People from ethnic minorities face a particular shortage of donors - the NHS aims to achieve 80% consent rates by 2020, but at the moment only 34% of families from ethnic minorities consent to donate organs when asked, and rates of living donation have started to fall.

File on 4 finds that a small number patients are so desperate they will risk their health by looking for a kidney abroad. Most British patients head to Pakistan, where an equally desperate group of people are coerced into giving up their kidneys, placing their lives in the hands of organ traffickers.

But now a new, sinister trade is emerging in Pakistan. In October Pakistani police raided an apartment building in Rawalpindi and behind a metal grill, found 24 terrified people locked inside. They had been lured with offers of jobs, but when they arrived were kidnapped and told a kidney would be removed.

As a worldwide shortage of organs fuels an increase in transplant tourism, Allan Urry, working in conjunction with local journalist Nosheen Abbas hears from the people caught up in this illegal trade and asks whether enough is being done to prevent it.

Reporters: Allan Urry with Nosheen Abbas

Producer: Ruth Evans

Researcher: Usman Zahid.

How a worldwide shortage of organs is fuelling a dangerous trade in transplant tourism.

The Dangers Of Modern Apprenticeship

20040713

20040718

The government claims its Apprenticeship scheme is the way forward for out of work youngsters who are hard to employ.

But James Silver reveals that - beyond the costly publicity - the programme is plagued by poor results, shoddy training and inappropriate placements that put young lives at risk.

UK companies are said to have laundered billions as new transparency rules are flouted.

New transparency rules designed to reveal the true owners of British companies are being flouted. Billions of pounds of dirty money is alleged to have passed through opaque UK companies in recent years.

How does this square with UK's international reputation for financial probity? A British company at a British address carries an air of legitimacy. But, in reality, some corporate vehicles are being used to fill the pockets of corrupt politicians and deprive people living in poverty of much-needed public funds.

In this edition of File on 4, Tim Whewell investigates the scams designed to circumvent new regulations and untangles the global networks behind the Great British Money Laundering Service.

With fares set to rise, the programme examines why Britain's railways are so much more expensive than other European countries. Passengers in some parts of the UK complain they are caught out by a complex and confusing system of ticketing, which unfairly penalises them.

Does it have to be so difficult to find out what the restrictions are on your journey?

Why aren't there enough carriages for commuters travelling at peaks times? Overcrowding's got so bad, some are left behind on the platform.

Much of the criticism is aimed at the Train Operating Companies, but how much are they to blame? And why does Network Rail, the company responsible for the national infrastructure, soak up the bulk of the 5 billion pounds of taxpayer's subsidy, yet according to its regulator, is 40 per cent less efficient than its EU rivals?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Why do Britain's railways cost more than elsewhere in Europe? Allan Urry investigates.

With fares set to rise, the programme examines why Britain's railways are so much more expensive than other European countries.

Passengers in some parts of the UK complain they are caught out by a complex and confusing system of ticketing, which unfairly penalises them.

The Hidden Homeless

20161101

20161106 (R4)

The number of people who are homeless is on the rise. In London it shot up almost 80 per cent in 4 years. Latest government figures show councils in England took on 15,000 new homeless households between April and June this year - a 10 per cent increase on the previous year.

Increasingly councils are having to use temporary accommodation and even bed and breakfasts to cope with a shortage of affordable accommodation. It has become an increasingly profitable business for landlords. Research this year for London councils found that they had spent over £650 million in the capital on temporary accommodation in just one year. Charities say changes to the benefit cap which comes into effect next week will make the situation for families looking for a home, even worse.

File on 4 reports from the front line of the homelessness crisis. The programme meets the families sent by councils to live in cramped, filthy conditions.

We hear from the doctors who claim emergency accommodation in one city is affecting people's mental health and contributing to an increase in deaths and the local authority keeping families in B&B accommodation longer than they are legally allowed to.

Reporter: Simon Cox

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Are local councils doing enough to provide accommodation for the homeless?

The Last Taboo

20160920

20160925 (R4)

For a long time, society didn't want to believe child sex abuse was happening - but now are sex crimes against elderly victims being dismissed in the same way?

File on 4 reveals new figures about the scale of alleged sex offences taking place in residential and nursing homes. Whether 5 or 85, should the victims of sexual assault be treated any differently?

Claire Savage hears from the families of elderly people, some with a form of dementia, who have been sexually abused by care workers or by other residents. We also speak to care workers about the challenges they face in dealing with intimacy and sex in care settings.

Experts claim elder sex crimes are being missed or going unreported because not everyone wants to admit these offences are happening. How good are those within the care industry at recognising the signs of elder sexual abuse and at coping with the moral and ethical dilemmas of establishing when a consensual relationship becomes potential abuse?

We speak to those who explain the complexities of bringing about prosecutions where the victim or perpetrator lacks mental capacity and asks if such cases are in the public interest to prosecute.

Reporter: Claire Savage

Producer: Emma Forde.

The Last Taboo?

20141028

20141102 (R4)

Is there a hidden problem of child sex abuse within Britain's Asian communities?

As inquiries into child abuse in Rotherham continue, File on 4 investigates claims of a hidden problem of sexual abuse within Britain's Asian communities.

While the victims of recent grooming scandals have mostly been white girls, campaigners say Asian boys and girls have also been subjected to abuse over many years.

Male and female survivors tell Manveen Rana there's a powerful culture of denial stopping many speaking out and getting justice. They say communities too often close ranks and ostracise or threaten those who complain, while leaving perpetrators to carry on.

Reporter: Manveen Rana

Producer: Sally Chesworth

Assistant Producer: Yasminara Khan.

The Lost Children Of Marian Vale

20180522

20180527 (R4)

An investigation into the former Marianvale mother and baby home in Northern Ireland.

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

During much of the 20th century unmarried women who became pregnant faced being condemned, stigmatised and shunned by their communities.

Across the Republic and Northern Ireland thousands of women and girls were sent to mother and baby homes to give birth in secret and then gave their babies over for adoption.

For some women, the homes which were mostly run by the Catholic Church, provided sanctuary and a chance for them to rebuild their lives.

But others have claimed they were subjected to human rights abuses which culminated in seeing their babies taken from them and adopted out without their consent.

File on 4 investigates one such former institution in Northern Ireland - Marianvale in Newry - and hears concerns over the conditions and practices at the home which closed in 1984.

Now some of the children adopted from the home are in a race against time to find their birth mothers before they pass away. Some claim they face a trail of secrecy and obfuscation and there are growing calls for a public inquiry to provide answers about the extent of alleged forced adoption practices within Northern Ireland.

File on 4 asks whether enough is being done to provide answers for some women who went into Northern Ireland's mother and baby homes and for the babies they never saw again.

The mystery of the missing Bitcoin billions: A real-life cryptocurrency crime drama.

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

As controversy rages around whether the Bitcoin bubble is about to burst, File on 4 investigates the mystery of the missing Bitcoin billions.

In 2014 one of the world's biggest Bitcoin exchanges - Mt Gox - suddenly stopped trading and filed for bankruptcy. It then announced that thousands of Bitcoins with a value of almost half a billion pounds had gone missing, leaving customers out of pocket and wondering what had gone on. For a while that remained a mystery, but recently US investigators have revealed that another exchange was involved - and there had been a huge Bitcoin theft..

What transpires is a murky transnational tale spanning Russia, Europe, Japan and the United States,

In a case which shines a light on the darkest corners of online trading Geoff White tells the real-life digital crime drama which shocked the cryptocurrency world.

Reporter: Geoff WhiteProducer: Nicola DowlingEditor: Gail Champion.

As controversy rages around whether the Bitcoin bubble is about to burst, File on 4 investigates the mystery of the missing Bitcoin billions.

In 2014 one of the world's biggest Bitcoin exchanges suddenly stopped trading and filed for bankruptcy. It then announced that thousands of Bitcoins with a value of almost half a billion dollars had gone missing, leaving customers out of pocket and wondering what had gone on. For a while that remained a mystery, but recently US investigators have revealed that another exchange was involved - and there had been a huge Bitcoin theft..

What transpires is a murky transnational tale spanning Russia, Europe, Japan and the United States,

In a case which shines a light on the darkest corners of online trading Geoff White tells the real-life digital crime drama which shocked the cryptocurrency world.

Reporter: Geoff WhiteProducer: Nicola DowlingEditor: Gail Champion.

The Nuclear Option - Powering The Future And Cleaning Up The Past

20171031

How are plans for the future of nuclear power progressing - and how to clean up the past?

There a risk we won't get new nuclear hooked up to the grid in time to back up renewable energy like wind power.

There's an aim to generate 16GWe of new nuclear power by 2030.

But experts doubt that's a realistic prospect, with Hinkley Point C years late, and questions over whether investors will risk capital on a proposed plant in Cumbria. And as plans for the future of nuclear power evolve, the legacy of the past also needs to be dealt with.

The government's served notice on a £6billion contract to make safe a dozen of the UK's first nuclear sites, dating back to the 1950s.

It was the most valuable piece of work ever put out to tender by the government.

But the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority gave the job to the wrong consortium. The high court ordered a payout to the rightful winners of £97.3 million in damages.The National Audit Office says the total cost to the taxpayer is upwards of £122 million.

The government also has to find someone else to clean up the old Magnox power stations and nuclear research sites. The current contractor, Cavendish Fluor Partnership and the NDA agree the job is far bigger than was made clear, and CFP will down tools nine years early.

File on 4 looks at the delays and spiralling costs in decommissioning old power station sites.

So just how well is our nuclear industry being managed?

Producer: Rob CaveReporter: Jane DeithEditor: Gail Champion.

The Price Of Pfi

20160705

20160710 (R4)

Successive government procurement strategies have repeatedly promised high quality public buildings made possible through Public Finance Initiatives, but is that what's been delivered? What went wrong in Edinburgh where 17 schools remained closed after the Easter break because of fears walls might collapse on children and staff? Allan Urry reveals new concerns about the extent of fire safety problems in some schools and hospitals because contractors failed to ensure they were built to specification. How safe are they, and who's footing the bill to put them right?

Producer: Ian Muir Cochrane

Reporter: Allan Urry.

Successive government procurement strategies have repeatedly promised high quality public buildings made possible through Private Finance Initiatives, but is that what's been delivered? What went wrong in Edinburgh where 17 schools remained closed after the Easter break because of fears walls might collapse on children and staff? Allan Urry reveals new concerns about the extent of fire safety problems in some schools and hospitals because contractors failed to ensure they were built to specification. How safe are they, and who's footing the bill to put them right?

The Prison Contraband Crisis

20170314

20170319 (R4)

Prisons are a crucible for corruption, a former governor claims. Staff are working in the toughest conditions the system has seen in decades. Thousands of experienced staff have left and some areas are struggling to replace them. Morale is falling amid record levels of violence. The use of new psychoactive substances is out of control - fuelling yet more violence. Mobile phones are flooding in, making the flow of drugs even more difficult to contain. So how does contraband make its way onto prison wings?

Former prisoners tell File on 4 that the bulk of smuggled goods come in with staff. Drones and visitors bring in small amounts, but the bigger consignments can only make it through with inside help. John Podmore, who's run jails and led the service's anti-corruption unit, says staff corruption is the inconvenient truth at the heart of the prison crisis.

"It is uncomfortable. They are few in number but they are large in their effect. One prison officer bringing in one coffee jar full of spice or cannabis can keep that jail going for a long time and make an awful lot of money."

Former prisoners tell the BBC's Home Affairs Correspondent, Danny Shaw, staff corruption is a serious problem but has become "the elephant in the room" that prison officials don't want to acknowledge. The ex-inmates say some staff are being corrupted while others turn a blind eye.

The Ministry of Justice has promised renewed efforts to combat corruption and professionalise the service. Thousands of frontline staff in London and south-east England will benefit from a pay boost, thanks to a new £12m package.

So will it stop the rot?

Reporter: Danny Shaw

Producer: Sally Chesworth

Editor: Gail Champion.

The Private World of the NHS

20180703

20180708 (R4)

Why is 'private' the word that dare not speak its name in the National Health Service?

No party dare publicly claim anything less than unswerving support for the NHS and its supporting mantra that health care should be "free at the point of delivery."

Yet millions of people are treated by a private dentist. Millions more think nothing of having to pay for eye tests and the spectacles prescribed by opticians who work for "for-profit" businesses. GP practices are independent-run businesses. Routine operations are often outsourced to private hospitals. Yet NHS contracts are increasingly fulfilled by private health providers. While campaigners protest, most people continue having treatment.

So what is at the root of opposition to private health care? Is it the fear of replicating the US system where ability to pay is often a condition of receiving health care? If good health care is the last standing public good is that because it's the last vestige of socialism, clung to by the left? Is there a fear that the nature of health care changes when a commercial transaction lies behind it? Do nostalgia and a notion of "fairness" play a part? And does the fear of opposition encourage a policy of reform by stealth which in turn fuels suspicion and more opposition?

Adrian's mother was a domestic at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham for more than 20 years; his first job was working for the West Midlands Regional Health Authority, while his sister is a nurse. The programme takes Adrian on a personal journey to discover the true nature of opposition to private provision. On the way he talks to patients, practitioners and experts on health provision.

The Private World Of The Nhs

20180703

Why is 'private' the word that dare not speak its name in the National Health Service?

No party dare publicly claim anything less than unswerving support for the NHS and its supporting mantra that health care should be "free at the point of delivery."

Yet millions of people are treated by a private dentist. Millions more think nothing of having to pay for eye tests and the spectacles prescribed by opticians who work for "for-profit" businesses. GP practices are independent-run businesses. Routine operations are often outsourced to private hospitals. Yet NHS contracts are increasingly fulfilled by private health providers. While campaigners protest, most people continue having treatment.

So what is at the root of opposition to private health care? Is it the fear of replicating the US system where ability to pay is often a condition of receiving health care? If good health care is the last standing public good is that because it's the last vestige of socialism, clung to by the left? Is there a fear that the nature of health care changes when a commercial transaction lies behind it? Do nostalgia and a notion of "fairness" play a part? And does the fear of opposition encourage a policy of reform by stealth which in turn fuels suspicion and more opposition?

Adrian's mother was a domestic at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham for more than 20 years; his first job was working for the West Midlands Regional Health Authority, while his sister is a nurse. The programme takes Adrian on a personal journey to discover the true nature of opposition to private provision. On the way he talks to patients, practitioners and experts on health provision.

The Secrets Of Smyllum Park

20170912

An investigation into the treatment of children at Smyllum Park orphanage in Scotland.

Over many generations the Catholic church provided shelter and care for vulnerable children whose families had been broken by death or poverty. But many of those who grew up in these orphanages claim the care they offered amounted to years of serious beatings and emotional abuse which scarred them for life.

File on 4 investigates one such former institution, Smyllum Park in Lanark, uncovering new evidence of alleged abuse and raising serious questions about child deaths at the orphanage, before it was closed in 1981.

In Scotland, the ongoing child abuse inquiry has vowed to get to the bottom of what happened at Smyllum Park and other children's homes but it has been beset with delays, resignations and claims of political interference.

File on 4 asks whether the inquiry is digging deep enough to uncover the truth about what happened at Smyllum Park and why it has taken more than 50 years for the truth to come out.

Producer: Ben RobinsonReporter: Michael Buchanan.

The Somali Connection

20101107

Jenny Cuffe investigates how British-based Somalis are being lured into fighting for the al-Qaeda-linked Islamists of al-Shabaab.

There have been consistent rumours that dozens, perhaps scores of British-based Somali men have travelled to Somalia to join the militant Islamist group which was banned by the British Government earlier this year.

In September the rumours were given new urgency when the Director of MI5, Jonathan Evans, warned it was only a matter of time before the UK suffered an act of terrorism committed by al-Shabaab-trained Britons.

File on 4 explores the techniques used by Al-Shabaab to persuade young members of the 250,000-strong British Somali community to sign up for Jihad in Somalia.

Members of the close-knit and reticent British Somali community tell Jenny Cuffe of their fears that youngsters are being seduced through the internet and by shadowy recruiting sergeants for the Horn of Africa's most feared military force.

And the programme travels to the state of Minnesota to see how a vigorous FBI investigation and cooperation from the Somali community have laid-bare a pipeline which first lured, then transported young American Somalis to the training camps and battlefields of Somalia.

Producer: Andy Denwood.

How British Somalis are recruited to fight for the banned Islamist group, al-Shabaab.

File on 4 explores the techniques used by Al-Shabaab to persuade young members of the 250,000-strong British Somali community to sign up for Jihad in Somalia. Members of the close-knit and reticent British Somali community tell Jenny Cuffe of their fears that youngsters are being seduced through the internet and by shadowy recruiting sergeants for the Horn of Africa's most feared military force.

The Syrian Connection

20131015

20131020

Who are the British jihadists fighting in Syria and could they pose a threat to the UK?

It is estimated more than 100 British people could be fighting with opposition forces in Syria. At least one is known to have been killed in action earlier this year. File on 4 investigates who these men are and why they have gone to fight.

While some are believed to have strong Syrian connections and are motivated by personal opposition to the government, there are concerns that others have travelled there to join hardline Islamist groups. Jenny Cuffe examines how fighters are recruited and the routes they use to join up with rebel forces. The programme hears from people who have travelled to Syria and friends of those still fighting out there.

It also asks what danger, if any, they may pose when they return to the UK.

Producer: Paul Grant.

While some are believed to have strong Syrian connections and are motivated by personal opposition to the government, there are concerns that others have travelled there to join hardline Islamist groups. Jenny Cuffe examines how fighters are recruited and the routes they use to join up with rebel forces. The programme hears from people who have travelled to Syria and asks what danger, if any, they may pose when they return to the UK.

The Turnaround Game

20170131

20170205 (R4)

Five people have been found guilty for their roles in bank corruption and fraud costing hundreds of millions of pounds. A sixth, it can now be revealed, had already pleaded guilty.

Lynden Scourfield, a middle-ranking banker with Halifax Bank of Scotland, accepted bribes in cash, foreign holidays and sexual entertainment. In exchange he would require small business customers to hire a firm of consultants called Quayside Corporate Services.

The consultants claimed to be able to turn the business customersâ€TM fortunes around - but the truth was very different. File on 4 follows the story of two small Hbos clients, former rock and rollers, who fought for a decade to expose the fraud, even as the bank sought to repossess their home.

We ask how this could happen, and how to prevent the ongoing mistreatment of small business customers by the banks.

Reporter: Andy Verity

Producer: David Lewis

Editor: Gail Champion.

The Zombie Effect

20121113

20121118

What effect are so-called zombie companies having on the UK economy? Hugh Pym investigates

It's estimated there are up to 150,000 so called zombie companies in the UK. They are often defined as businesses which are only able to pay off the interest on their debts and have little prospect of growing without restructuring or an injection of cash.

The BBC's Chief Economics correspondent, Hugh Pym, examines businesses caught in this situation and looks at what effect they are having on the UK economy. He hears from business experts who say these companies are partly responsible for the poor levels of growth. They say banks have huge amounts of capital tied up in businesses which are currently going nowhere and that means they have less money available to invest in more dynamic operations which have the ability to grow and create jobs. They say the banks are also unwilling to lend because they need to build up reserves to absorb losses if these businesses eventually fail.

Private equity investors such as Jon Moulton say in some cases the companies should be allowed to fail in order to let new businesses come through. But Hugh speaks to the head of a major bank's restructuring unit which is responsible for managing companies in distress who argues these companies can be nursed back to health and it is better to keep them alive and save jobs.

This decision often involves what is known as forbearance by the banks - where they ease or modify the terms of the loan to give a company breathing space. This is happening not only in business, but in the mortgage market too where billions of pounds of loans have been converted from repayment to interest only.

Some economists warn many of these debts will never be repaid and this means the banks aren't admitting to the true level of losses they are facing. Even the governor of the Bank of England is now warning of the dangers of forbearance and says banks should ensure they have enough funds to be able to draw a line under their losses.

Presenter: Hugh Pym

Producer: Paul Grant.

Ticket To Hide

20150623

20150628 (R4)

Sixty thousand people have crossed the Mediterranean and made it to Europe so far this year.

Frontex, the EU border agency, warns that between 500,000 and 1 million people - Eritreans, Syrians, Afghans, Somalis - could be waiting to leave the shores of Libya for Italy.

Its latest report says resources are being devoted to migrants' care but not towards screening and collecting basic information such as their nationality - which means many are quickly moving on to countries like the UK. According to the report, 'this puts the EU internal security at risk'.

There are also fears terrorists belonging to the so-called Islamic State could secrete themselves among the migrants.

So how easy is it for people to avoid security checks as they journey across the EU?

European countries are supposed to stop illegal migrants and enter their fingerprints and details on a central database. EU rules state that the country where people are first fingerprinted must look after them and consider their asylum applications.

This means many migrants set on coming to this country try to stay under the radar in Italy and France, hoping to reach the UK without being processed.

Jane Deith follows the routes used by some of those headed for Britain.

She also investigates the smugglers who help them - from individuals using their own cars, to organized crime gangs offering money back guarantees on a new life in the UK.

Is Europe losing the battle for control?

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Paul Grant.

Tobacco: The Lobbyists

20130716

20130721

Last week, the Government dropped plans to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes in England. It said it wanted to wait and see what happens in Australia where the measure was introduced earlier this year.

Labour and health campaigners accused the Government of caving in to the tobacco lobby. A claim it has denied.

In Europe, too, MEPs are considering a new law aimed at deterring young people from smoking. The Tobacco Products Directive proposes, among other things, a ban on flavoured cigarettes and increasing the size of health warnings.

Jane Deith travels to Brussels and hears claims and counter-claims: of questionable tactics by the tobacco industry and from tobacco lobbyists who say their actions are above board and they have the right to protect their companies' interests.

And she also talks to the main players in an alleged corruption scandal which some say could have brought down the European Commission itself.

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Paul Grant.

As the European Parliament prepares to vote on controversial new tobacco laws, Jane Deith asks if industry lobbying is threatening to derail the legislation.

Tolerating The Intolerant?

20110201

2011020620110206 (R4)

Reporter Jenny Cuffe investigates claims that one of the groups behind the blasphemy law in Pakistan is also active in the UK.

The religious extremists are accused of spreading a hate message against members of other Islamic sects who they regard as infidels.

One group that's been targeted accuses the authorities of not doing enough to protect them - and says political correctness has resulted in Britain tolerating the intolerant.

Producer: David Lewis.

Is religious intolerance growing among Britain's ethnic minorities?

Reporter Jenny Cuffe investigates claims that one of the groups behind the blasphemy law in Pakistan is also active in the UK. The religious extremists are accused of spreading a hate message against members of other Islamic sects who they regard as infidels. One group that's been targeted accuses the authorities of not doing enough to protect them - and says political correctness has resulted in Britain tolerating the intolerant.

Too Many Chiefs?

20121030

20121104

Ahead of elections for police commissioners, do we need so many separate police forces?

In April next year, the SNP government in Scotland will merge 8 existing constabularies to create a single national police force. This is intended to bring efficiency savings by cutting out duplication of functions and gaining the economies of scale. But the move is proving controversial amid fears that it will damage local accountability and lead to worsening services in some areas.

Next month in England and Wales elections will be held for 41 Police and Crime Commissioners to oversee a continuing patchwork of local forces. The Westminster government sees the Commissioners as signs of its commitment to 'localism'. But seven years ago, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of police said the fragmented network of local forces was 'not fit for purpose'. So, given the cuts the police are facing, is it time for a radical re-organisation south of the border? Gerry Northam investigates.

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Torturers In The Uk

20090324

20090329

Fran Abrams asks if Britain has become a haven for torturers, and investigates the case for new laws and tougher policing to prevent alleged human rights abusers from taking refuge in this country.

Tony Blair pledged he would root out corruption in Britain's Town Halls.

But six years after launching the crackdown, is the Government any closer to cleaning up the country's dirty boroughs.

Angus Stickler uncovers evidence of auditors being blocked, whistleblowers hounded out of their jobs and senior council officials prepared to break the law to cover up acts of impropriety.

Trade And Torture

20160712

20160717 (R4)

Is the UK putting trade above concerns about human rights in the United Arab Emirates?

Britons who claim they were tortured in the Gulf state's prison cells say the UK government failed to fight for them.

The foreign office has received 43 cases of alleged abuse of UK citizens in the UAE since 2010.

In exclusive interviews, File on 4 hears from those who've got out of detention in Dubai who say they were arrested without charge, and tortured with electric shocks and solitary confinement, and threatened with guns and sexual assault.

The UK government says it regularly raises Britons' cases - and allegations of mistreatment - with the UAE authorities. But those who've been stuck there tell File on 4 they didn't get the support they needed and expected when they were suffering, despite the authorities here knowing the risks they faced.

The government's also promoting deals with its largest trading partner in the Middle East.

Jane Deith counts up the billions of UAE investment in the UK, from container ports to housing developments.

And the programme hears the arguments for joint ventures with Emirati companies - for example by NHS hospitals - as a lucrative way to generate income as budgets are squeezed, ultimately providing better services for patients here.

The United Arab Emirates is seen as a stable ally in an unstable Middle East, not least in the fight against Islamic State - does that make the UK less willing to raise issues like human rights abuses and judicial process?

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

In exclusive interviews, File on 4 hears from those who've got out of detention in Dubai who say they were arrested without charge and subjected to violent treatment and torture.

Trains

20040127

20040201

At the heart of Britain's privatised railway system, three companies own virtually all of the country's trains.

The companies are subsidiaries of major High Street banks and were set up to help create a modern, reliable network, but are they delivering value for money for both travellers and taxpayers? Alan Whitehouse reports.

Transforming Rehabilitation: At What Cost?

20161004

20161009 (R4)

The split and part privatisation of the UK probation system in June 2014 saw huge changes to the service, with high risk offenders managed by the new National Probation Service and low to medium risk offenders managed by Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs).

Two years on, probation officers report a system that has been 'ripped apart', with two sides often failing to communicate. There are concerns over rising caseloads, falling staffing levels and the number of murders committed by offenders released from prison on licence.

File on 4 speaks to families who have lost loved ones, and hears how they have had to fight to find out the full extent of the failings of the probation system in their cases.

Charities report particular concerns over vulnerable women in the probation system, with many being recalled to prison for breaching probation orders, following short sentences for minor offences.

As Transforming Rehabilitation is scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Probation, File on 4 asks if the changes are putting the public at risk?

Reporter - Melanie Abbott

Producer - Ruth Evans.

Have major changes to the probation system put the public at risk?

Treating Stroke: The Doctors' Dilemma

20150616

20150621 (R4)

Later this month the medicines regulator, the MHRA, is due to complete its review into the clot-busting drug Alteplase, the frontline treatment used in many cases of stroke. A number of experts in the UK, US and Canada have raised serious doubts about the drug's safety and effectiveness. They are concerned about potentially fatal harm to patients through an increased risk of bleeding in the brain and they question the credibility of scientific research on which Alteplase was licensed. Supporters and regulators say any risks are outweighed by the benefits of improved recovery. BBC Health Correspondent Adam Brimelow assesses the evidence and the dilemma posed for doctors and their patients.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Does a leading stroke drug cause more harm than good?

Tuberculosis

20120731

20120805

Is the NHS failing to tackle the rise in tuberculosis in Britain?

Figures released this month reveal almost 9000 new tuberculosis cases in the United Kingdom last year, the highest level since the 1970s. The disease has risen by more than a third in the past decade. In parts of London, Birmingham and other cities it is already at the level of high-risk countries in the developing world.

Yet in most of the rest of Europe TB rates have been steadily falling in recent years. Health experts have found that cases of TB remain static among people of all ethnicities who were born in Britain. They attribute the national rise in cases to migration from some former British colonies in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian sub-continent.

Airport screening of migrants, using a chest x-ray, identifies only active cases of the disease in the lungs. It misses the much more numerous cases of latent TB which can progress to become active at any time. An estimated 10,000 cases of latent TB arrive undetected in the UK each year.

A nationwide survey of NHS blood-test screening programmes shows that the areas with populations most at risk are also those with least effort put into screening for latent disease. Patients' groups also question the level of GPs' awareness of the many manifestations of tuberculosis, citing cases of repeated missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis which have left patients suffering as the disease advances with sometimes fatal consequences.

Gerry Northam investigates the resurgence of a condition once thought to be all-but eliminated from the UK and asks if the NHS is failing to tackle it.

Producer: Gail Champion

Reporter: Gerry Northam.

Uk Asylum: A Systems Failure?

20160308

20160313 (R4)

As more and more migrants seek asylum in the UK, is the system for processing their applications reaching breaking point? Allan Urry investigates the impact of a drastic reduction in the numbers of courts hearing cases. At the same time, appeals are going up and key rulings against Home Office decisions to return people to other countries are also piling on the pressure.

With Europe now bracing itself for a fresh wave of refugees fleeing conflict, why is it taking so long and costing so much to decide who should be granted asylum here?

How far should undercover police be allowed to go to gather intelligence?

How far should undercover police officers go to gather intelligence?

Jane Deith talks exclusively to women suing the Metropolitan police claiming they were tricked into long standing relationships with undercover officers.

The unmasking of undercover cop Mark Kennedy who'd been infiltrating environmental protest groups has led to revelations that other officers had relationships with woman they were spying on. The women argue that the state agents they fell in love with used them physically and emotionally. They say the officers intruded into the most personal aspects of their lives causing them lasting damage. Their lawyer claims the relationships were a breach of the women's right to privacy and their right to form relationships without the interference of the state.

Yet there are no hard guidelines on undercover officers sleeping with 'targets'. The rules of engagement are shrouded in secrecy. Police chiefs have said the officers broke the rules, yet former undercover policemen say sex was sanctioned as a means of gathering intelligence. And the Government has told Parliament affairs like this can be a necessary part of undercover work.

So is forming intimate relationships a legitimate part of a difficult and vital area of policing, or an abuse of power by the state?

And, from environmental protest to serious and organised crime, how much do we really know about the secret methods of undercover policing?

Presenter: Jane Deith

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Up To The Job?

20131105

20131110

The Work Programme is the Government's flagship scheme designed to help the long term unemployed off benefits and into lasting jobs. But how well is it working - both for those at whom it is aimed and for the private companies who are paid to deliver it?

Official figures paint a patchy picture and some companies have already been sanctioned for not meeting targets. Their record has been particularly poor for claimants whose illness or disability makes it hard to find a job.

Despite this, the Chancellor recently announced an addition to the scheme - called Help to Work - which places new demands on those the Work Programme has failed to move into employment.

But, with the economy still struggling in many areas, is it asking too much? Gerry Northam investigates.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Is the government's flagship Work Programme working? Gerry Northam investigates.

Some fear that the scheme will hurt the very people it is designed to help.

Gerry Northam looks at the government's flagship strategy for urban regeneration. Some fear that the scheme will hurt the very people it is designed to help. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Gerry Northam looks at the government's flagship strategy for urban regeneration. Some fear that the scheme will hurt the very people it is designed to help. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Vaccination Against Hepatitis B

20031028

20031102

Matthew Hill investigates a proposal from a government committee that is considering a universal vaccination against the liver disease Hepatitis B.

Vaccine Damages

20160202

20160207 (R4)

Vaccination has long been one of the greatest weapons in the battle against a range of potentially fatal diseases. Millions of lives have been saved worldwide, and Britain has played a major role in helping to combat new pandemics. But, rarely, things do go wrong and people develop serious side-effects. In the UK, the Government's Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme is supposed to help those left severely disabled as a result. Among those currently arguing their case are the families of children who developed an incurable and devastating sleep disorder after being immunised against swine flu. But, to date, most have received nothing and Ministers have now gone to the Court of Appeal to try and establish a less generous interpretation of the pay-out rules. Lawyers for the families say the whole scheme is outdated and unfit for purpose. Are they right? Jenny Chryss investigates.

Reporter: Jenny Chryss Producer: Ruth Evans.

Violent Veterans

20120724

20120729

Jane Deith examines new research into violent behaviour by soldiers returning from combat.

Thousands of British troops have been deployed to conflict zones since 2001, in the so-called War on Terror. Research is now beginning to confirm what many people have suspected - that a sizeable minority of returning soldiers - one in ten - are displaying increased levels of violence. This is impacting on families through domestic abuse and is raising the risk of people in the wider community becoming victims. With two years to go before frontline troops are pulled out of Afghanistan, is the Army doing enough to make sure returning soldiers are safe? And is the intensity of deployment to active combat zones making matters worse?

Presenter: Jane Deith Producer: David Lewis.

What Happened At Aston Hall Hospital?

20160719

20160724 (R4)

Why were children injected with a so-called truth serum at Aston Hall Hospital?

Police are investigating allegations of abuse made by people who, as children, were sent for psychiatric treatment at Aston Hall Hospital in Derbyshire. Some patients say they were only sent there because they were difficult to manage or had behavioural problems.

The Medical Superintendent is accused of 'experimenting' on his child patients, giving them an anaesthetic called sodium amytal in therapy sessions throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Phil Kemp investigates the history of this treatment, which was used on shell shocked soldiers during World War Two, employed as a 'truth serum' by police and intelligence agencies, and by the 80's had become implicated in false memory cases. The hospital closed in 2004 and the Medical Superintendent died in 1976, leaving his patients struggling to make sense of what happened to them at Aston Hall.

Although treatment records reveal the sodium amytal was used on some children, former patients question what really went on while they were drugged. File on 4 opens the medical archives and hears from former staff to piece together a troubled chapter in the history of psychiatric care, and in the lives of former patients.

Reporter - Phil Kemp

Producer - Ruth Evans.

What Lies Beneath: The Legacy Of Landfill

20170620

The toxic legacy of the UK's tens of thousands of underground waste dumps.

The toxic legacy of Britain's industrial heritage lies festering beneath our feet in 20 thousand former landfill sites. But now Government has ended the system of grants to local authorities to help pay for their clean up, and developers are moving in to build housing. How safe are these places, and should people be concerned about living on top of them? Many of these sites were commissioned long before safety and environmental regulations were introduced so nobody knows what's buried underground and what problems it might create in the future. Families whose homes were built right next door to old landfill sites tell the programme their lives have been blighted by health issues. File on 4 has seen new research commissioned by the Environment Agency which reveals how erosion is threatening hundreds of toxic dumps along our coastline that could leach chemicals and other harmful substances onto our beaches and into the sea.

What Price Social Housing?

20131022

20131027

Homes at risk? Are housing associations trying to gamble their way out of a crisis?

Ministers have set a target of 170,000 new affordable homes in the next two years. But the Housing Associations which must take a major part in delivering them are under increasing financial strain.

With their incomes squeezed by benefit reform and grant cuts, many are taking a more commercial approach. But there's concern some are taking too many financial risks.

And MPs have voiced fears that the regulator charged with monitoring the associations' viability is not up to the job.

Fran Abrams investigates.

Reporter: Fran Abrams

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

What's New About The New Far Right?

20171114

What threat do the new and emerging far right groups pose to the UK?

The head of counter terrorism Assistant Commander Mark Rowley has warned the extreme right wing pose a growing threat in the UK. He told the Home Affairs select committee last month that right wing issues had increased in the last two years which was a real concern, although Islamic extremism remained the main threat.

Last month, two men alleged to be members of National Action - a banned extreme far right group - were charged in connection with an alleged plot to kill an MP.

Adrian Goldberg investigates the current face of the far right in the UK today and hears from their victims.

He meets the former soldier who intervened after a far right extremist tried to behead a Sikh man and challenges the Austrian leader of a group called Generation Identity which launched in the UK only last month.

They are part of a Europe wide group of so called 'Identitarians' who say their aim is to protect cultural identity. But their target is clear. Members unfurled a banner over Westminster bridge in London which declared "Defend London, Stop Islamisation."

Experts say there is now growing cross border co-operation between far right groups in Europe, the UK and America.

Jewish communities are also worried about the rise in the far right and growing anti-Semitic attacks. A student who highlighted far right posters being put up at her university was forced to move after a hate campaign which included her face being superimposed on pictures of holocaust victims. Businesses have been firebombed and some members of the Jewish community say they are so concerned they are considering leaving the country.

The programme reveals new research on the scale of far right extremism on-line. Thousands of people in the UK have been identified as having violent extremist thoughts. Former extremists have been brought in to try to persuade people to change their views. But are they listening?

Presenter: Adrian GoldbergProducer: Paul GrantEditor: Gail Champion.

Where Have All The Nurses Gone?

20150127

20150201 (R4)

File on 4 looks at the reasons for the nursing shortage in the NHS in England and the cost of plugging the gaps at a time of peak demand.

A decision four years ago to cut training places to save money is still haunting the health service. There's no shortage of people wanting to be nurses but the NHS is badly understaffed.

Recruitment in countries like Spain, Portugal and Italy has quadrupled in the last year as NHS trusts fail to find enough domestic nurses. But with thousands of European nurses encouraged to come here with incentives like relocation bonuses and free accommodation, why are hospitals still breaking guidelines on the level of acceptable vacancies? And how much has that contributed to the winter crisis in Accident and Emergency Units across the country?

Hospitals aren't the only area of concern. Professional bodies like the RCN say there has been a reduction in the number of experienced senior nurses working in the community. Has the recent focus on increasing nurses on hospital wards meant other areas have suffered? And what impact will that have on the Government's long term plan to solve our hospital crisis by caring for more patients at home?

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Gemma Newby.

Where have all the nurses gone? File on 4 looks at the reasons for the nursing shortage in the NHS in England and the cost of plugging the gaps at a time of peak demand.

Who Killed Emma?

20150512

20150517 (R4)

Emma Caldwell was a young woman from a good home who developed an addiction to heroin after the death of her sister and then descended into street prostitution. When her body was found dumped in a ditch in Lanarkshire in May 2005, the police launched an unprecedented murder hunt. But ten years on, after an investigation costing millions of pounds, no one has ever been convicted of her killing. Eamon O Connor investigates what went wrong.

In 2009, 2,445 cases, including allegations of police brutality, deaths in custody and serious negligence, were referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. But is it truly independent, and does its record over five years encourage public confidence? Gerry Northam investigates.

Last year 2,445 cases, including allegations of police brutality, deaths in custody and serious negligence, were referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

But is it truly independent, and does its record over five years encourage public confidence? Gerry Northam investigates.

Whose Right To Buy Is It Anyway?

20160621

20160626 (R4)

Is the scheme that allows council tenants to buy their own homes open to fraud and abuse?

Around 2.5m council tenants across the UK have bought their homes since Right to Buy started in 1980. The scheme is now being extended to more than a million housing association tenants in England with the first homes expected to be sold in pilot areas next month.

The popularity of right to buy has risen sharply since greater discounts were introduced four years ago, but so too have cases of fraud as people seek to exploit discounts of up to nearly £104,000.

Simon Cox goes on the trail of the fraudsters and the companies seeking to make big bucks out of right to buy. He discovers people trying to buy homes they're not entitled to and criminals attempting to launder drugs money.

He investigates companies who offer tenants help to buy their home in order to get their hands on valuable properties.

He also hears concerns from experts that many housing associations do not have the resources and skills to prevent fraud which could potentially result in the loss of millions of pounds worth of much needed homes

Reporter: Simon Cox

Producer: Paul Grant.

Witness Protection

20120327

20120401

After details of people under witness protection were leaked to a private investigator, Allan Urry asks if police are doing enough to protect witnesses whose lives are at risk.

Are the police doing enough to protect and look after people under witness protection?

On the day a parliamentary committee is due to take evidence about the Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre, Simon Cox investigates claims of sexual abuse and poor health care for the women held there.

Campaigners and detainees tell File on 4 about "a culture of disbelief" which they say exists among healthcare staff and which they claim is putting women at risk.

Serco - the company that runs the centre - insists it provides a good standard of care, but a former member of staff, speaking publicly for the first time, says concerns he raised were ignored by senior managers.

The programme also investigates claims of inappropriate sexual contact between staff and detainees and allegations of sexual abuse by staff.

Several employees were dismissed last year over sexual encounters with women being held at the centre and the House of Commons Home Affairs select committee have called the managing director of Serco to give evidence about the sexual abuse claims.

Simon Cox investigates - and hears why some MPs believe it is time for the centre to be closed.

Reporter: Simon Cox Producer: Sally Chesworth.

01

20050531

20050605

After the collapse of Rover, Allan Urry investigates other companies that have gone bust, and asks whether Britain does enough to prevent insolvency, debt and job losses caused by business failures.

Episodes

Episode

Title

FirstBroadcast

Repeated

Comments

20030211

20030216

20030520

20030525

Gerry Northam asks whether it's time for the government to allow a controlled trade in human organs.

20030527

20030601

The government has invested heavily in the reform of cancer services and made it clear that broader reforms across the NHS may follow.

But how successful have the changes been?

20030603

20030608

With more depleted uranium used during the war in Iraq than in any previous conflict, Jenny Cuffe examines the latest scientific research on the dangers it poses, and asks why the Government is ignoring safety recommendations from its own advisors on the subject.

/ More depleted uranium was used in the recent Iraq war than in any previous conflict.

Jenny Cuffe investigates the latest research on the dangers posed by this volatile material.

20030610

20030615

20030615

The European sugar industry has long been kept sweet by a subsidy regime that costs consumers around £5 billion a year.

Now, with EU proposals to reform the subsidy system and health warnings from the World Health Organisation that we should consume less sugar, is the industry facing a bitter future? Fran Abrams reports.

20031125

20031130

Iraq and other conflicts have left Britain?s shrinking armed forces more overstretched than at any time in the last fifty years.

Julian O?Halloran reports.

20040217

20040222

The Government has promised a review of cases in which children have been removed by the state from their parents on controversial medical testimony in the courts.

But will it address the more fundamental failings of a family courts system in crisis? Allan Urry investigates.

20040323

20040328

As investors demand more social responsibility from Britain's biggest companies, Allan Urry investigates one of the nation's leading oil and gas multinationals.

20040518

20040525

20040525

20040530

In the first of a new series, Jenny Cuffe investigates the role played by private military contractors in Iraq.

As violence and lawlessness increase, business is booming for the security companies - but are there enough controls over the way they operate and the people they employ?

20040601

The government's health reforms promise local control of services through new Primary Care Trusts. But, with complaints that the Trusts only have real power as long as they do what Whitehall wants, just how democratic is New Labour's NHS? Gerry Northam investigates.

The government's health reforms promise local control of services through new Primary Care Trusts.

But, with complaints that the Trusts only have real power as long as they do what Whitehall wants, just how democratic is New Labour's NHS? Gerry Northam investigates.

20040608

20040613

With Britain's defence budget being further stretched by military involvement in Iraq, Julian O'Halloran examines the MOD's spending record. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

With Britain's defence budget being further stretched by military involvement in Iraq, Julian O'Halloran examines the MOD's spending record. [Rpt of Tues 8.00pm]

With Britain's defence budget being further stretched by military involvement in Iraq, Julian O'halloran examines the MOD's spending record.

20040727

20040801

The Bichard inquiry into the murder of the two Soham schoolgirls, revealed grave blunders by Humberside police. But, as Julian O'Halloran reports, it also found huge deficiencies in keeping police records nationwide, and the Home Office is now in a race against time to plug the gaps which could allow other child killers to strike.

The Bichard inquiry into the murder of the two Soham schoolgirls, revealed grave blunders by Humberside police.

But, as Julian O'halloran reports, it also found huge deficiencies in keeping police records nationwide, and the Home Office is now in a race against time to plug the gaps which could allow other child killers to strike.

20041019

20041024

The National Health Service is spending more than £6 billion on a computer system linking all hospitals and GP surgeries in England; the biggest public sector computer project in the world. But as it approaches its launch, Gerry Northam reveals serious unease among some doctors and other health service professionals.

The National Health Service is spending more than £6 billion on a computer system linking all hospitals and GP surgeries in England; the biggest public sector computer project in the world.

But as it approaches its launch, Gerry Northam reveals serious unease among some doctors and other health service professionals.

20041102

20041107

20041107

Sewers

Every year thousands of homes are flooded with evil-smelling sewage. Julian O'Halloran investigates growing concern over the crumbling state of Britain's sewerage system and the threat it poses public health.

Every year thousands of homes are flooded with evil-smelling sewage.

Julian O'halloran investigates growing concern over the crumbling state of Britain's sewerage system and the threat it poses public health.

20041109

20041114

Why are teenaged boys so vulnerable to abuse by men who pay for sex? Allan Urry investigates one of Britain's biggest paedophile rings to find out how a schoolboy was abducted from his parents and sold to abusers across the country.

Allan Urry investigates a notorious paedophile ring to find out how a schoolboy was abducted from his family and sold to abusers across the country. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

20041116

20041121

Jenny Cuffe reports on how the EU is considering new legislation which would require tests for thousands of chemicals which are routinely used by manufacturers. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

With the European Union considering new legislation which would require tests for thousands of chemicals which are routinely used by manufacturers, Jenny Cuffe assesses the latest scientific research, and asks how much we really know about the long term risks from some of the substances that are contained in almost everything we buy.

The first 17 have already opened, but will the millions of pounds being invested benefit the pupils most in need?

Gerry Northam reports.

20041207

20041212

Around two-thirds of British military deaths in Iraq were caused not by enemy action, but by 'friendly fire', faulty equipment, poor training and other organisational factors.

Now families of victims accuse the Ministry of Defence of covering up its own failings and shifting the blame onto front-line troops.

20050201

20050206

Gerry Northam investigates allegations that much of Iraq's oil wealth has been squandered by incompetence and corruption during the current occupation. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Gerry Northam investigates allegations that much of Iraq's oil wealth has been squandered by incompetence and corruption during the current occupation. [Rpt Sun 5.00pm]

Gerry Northam investigates allegations that much of Iraq's oil wealth has been squandered by incompetence and corruption during the current occupation.

20050208

20050213

Allan Urry investigates concerns about the huge backlog of repairs, maintenance and construction on Britain's roads. Is the state of our highways costing lives? [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Allan Urry investigates concerns about the huge backlog of repairs, maintenance and construction on Britain's roads.

Is the state of our highways costing lives?

20050215

20050220

Julian O'Halloran reports from the tiny kingdom of Lesotho, where the people have suffered years of malnutrition, sickness and drought, yet their plight has been largely ignored. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

While billions of pounds have been pledged for victims of the tsunami disaster, other areas of the world desperate for aid are facing a donations famine. In the tiny kingdom of Lesotho, as in much of Southern Africa, several years of drought, malnutrition and sickness, have been largely ignored by the outside world. As Julian O'Halloran reports, new international trade rules have deepened the crisis by putting thousands out of work.

While billions of pounds have been pledged for victims of the tsunami disaster, other areas of the world desperate for aid are facing a donations famine.

In the tiny kingdom of Lesotho, as in much of Southern Africa, several years of drought, malnutrition and sickness, have been largely ignored by the outside world.

As Julian O'halloran reports, new international trade rules have deepened the crisis by putting thousands out of work.

Julian O'halloran reports from the tiny kingdom of Lesotho, where the people have suffered years of malnutrition, sickness and drought, yet their plight has been largely ignored.

20050222

20050227

Alan Urry investigates concerns about the huge backlog of repairs, maintenance and construction on Britain's roads. Is the state of our highways costing lives? [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Alan Urry investigates concerns about the huge backlog of repairs, maintenance and construction on Britain's roads. Is the state of our highways costing lives? [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Alan Urry investigates concerns about the huge backlog of repairs, maintenance and construction on Britain's roads.

Is the state of our highways costing lives?

20050315

20050320

With the Provisional IRA accused of being behind one of the UK's biggest ever cash robberies of £26 million from the Northern Bank in Belfast, Allan Urry investigates the scale of serious and organised paramilitary crime north and south of the Irish border.

Alan Urry investigates the extent of serious and organised paramilitary crime north and south of the Irish border. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

20050322

20050327

With family doctors no longer having to be on call after hours, File on 4 investigates whether patients are being put at risk. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

With family doctors no longer having to be on call after hours, File on 4 investigates whether patients are being put at risk. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

With family doctors no longer having to be on call after hours, File on 4 investigates whether patients are being put at risk.

20050329

20050403

With family doctors no longer having to be 'on call' after hours, reporter Matthew Hill investigates whether patients are being put at risk. The programme uncovers evidence of long delays in responding to patients in urgent need of medical care.

With family doctors no longer having to be 'on call' after hours, reporter Matthew Hill investigates whether patients are being put at risk.

The programme uncovers evidence of long delays in responding to patients in urgent need of medical care.

20050607

20050612

Many food products have been withdrawn because of fears over carcinogenic additives. The sufferers have been the farmers of the spice fields of India. Jenny Cuffe investigates.

Many food products have been withdrawn because of fears over carcinogenic additives. The sufferers have been the farmers of the spice fields of India. Jenny Cuffe investigates. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Many food products have been withdrawn because of fears over carcinogenic additives.

With the government signalling that a new generation of nuclear reactors is now a real possibility, how near is Britain to finding a solution to the old problem of what to do with vast quantities of dangerous radioactive waste?

Julian O'Halloran reports on the disposal headaches and the radiation leaks which continue to dog the nuclear power industry.

20050621

20050626

How good is the Home Office at making immigration and asylum decisions? Amid widely-publicised claims that undeserving applicants have learned to play the system, Gerry Northam investigates complaints that many genuine cases are rejected, causing needless distress and wasting huge amounts of public money on appeals.

20050628

20050703

Children and teachers are being put at risk because of failures to pass on information about violent pupils and abusive parents. Fran Abrams investigates the lapses which have left school staff and children exposed to attack.

Children and teachers are being put at risk because of failures to pass on information about violent pupils and abusive parents.

Fran Abrams investigates the lapses which have left school staff and children exposed to attack.

20050705

20050710

Ten years ago, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs, on charges of genocide. File on 4 examines the failure of the international community to bring Karadzic to trial and the implications it has for the fragile peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Ten years ago, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs, on charges of genocide.

File on 4 examines the failure of the international community to bring Karadzic to trial and the implications it has for the fragile peace in Bosnia - Herzegovina.

20050712

20050717

How safe is it to blow the whistle on alleged wrong-doing in one of the country's most closed public services; the prison system? Jenny Cuffe investigates.

How safe is it to blow the whistle on alleged wrong-doing in one of the country's most closed public services - the prison system? Jenny Cuffe investigates claims that staff and inmates are being victimised for making complaints.

20050719

20050724

Hosepipe bans, dwindling river flows, and half full reservoirs - the signs of water shortage are growing across some of Britain's most populated areas. The last big drought nine years ago spelled out the need to cut water demand and conserve vital supplies if another crisis was to be averted - so what measures were taken and why haven't they worked?

Hosepipe bans, dwindling river flows, and half full reservoirs - the signs of water shortage are growing across some of Britain's most populated areas.

The last big drought nine years ago spelled out the need to cut water demand and conserve vital supplies if another crisis was to be averted - so what measures were taken and why haven't they worked?

20050726

20050731

Gerry Northam examines the new anti-fraud regime in Europe and asks if it is working. Six years after the European Commission promised zero tolerance of corruption, why do allegations of widespread fraud and financial mismanagement persist?

Gerry Northam examines the new anti-fraud regime in Europe and asks if it is working.

Six years after the European Commission promised zero tolerance of corruption, why do allegations of widespread fraud and financial mismanagement persist?

20050802

20050807

With an increasing number of hospitals battling with large scale debts, Liz Carney investigates whether policies designed to increase patient choice could create more financial instability and even lead to hospital closures.

20050809

20050814

Alan Whitehouse investigates the performance of Britain's bus companies and uncovers poor reliability, safety failings and a regulatory system that is struggling to cope. So what are we getting for the millions of pounds of public money funnelled into the bus industry each year?

Alan Whitehouse investigates the performance of Britain's bus companies and uncovers poor reliability, safety failings and a regulatory system that is struggling to cope.

So what are we getting for the millions of pounds of public money funnelled into the bus industry each year?

However, critics complain that the new law is a recipe for future miscarriages of justice.

Gerry Northam investigates.

Terrorist suspects are supposed to meet speedy justice under streamlined extradition procedures. However, critics complain that the new law is a recipe for future miscarriages of justice. Gerry Northam investigates.

20051018

20051023

Road hauliers continue to complain about the damaging effects of Britain's fuel prices, but it's only one of the many pressures facing an industry under stress.

There's also a critical shortage of capable lorry drivers at a time when demand is soaring. Is this why some become so tired that they fall asleep at the wheel, causing fatal accidents?

There's also a critical shortage of capable lorry drivers at a time when demand is soaring.

Is this why some become so tired that they fall asleep at the wheel, causing fatal accidents?

20051025

20051030

Richard Watson investigates the background to the London bombings and asks whether the authorities could have done more to counter the terrorist threat rooted in Britain. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Richard Watson investigates the background to the London bombings and asks whether the authorities could have done more to counter the terrorist threat rooted in Britain. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Richard Watson investigates the background to the London bombings and asks whether the authorities could have done more to counter the terrorist threat rooted in Britain.

20051101

20051106

Tony Blair stepped in personally to speed up compensation for those injured in the London bombings - but other victims of crime are complaining that they have to wait years for compensation, and that money they receive can be woefully inadequate to care for those with the most serious injuries.

File on 4 investigates the system for compensating those who suffer violent attacks.

With Julian O'Halloran.

20051108

20051113

The fight to end poverty highlighted by Live 8 was followed by more pictures of the starving in Niger. With concerns over more famines, Jenny Cuffe returns to Niger, and asks why the world always wakes up too late.

The fight to end poverty highlighted by Live 8 was followed by more pictures of the starving in Niger.

With concerns over more famines, Jenny Cuffe returns to Niger, and asks why the world always wakes up too late.

20051115

20051120

After the controversy over the breast cancer drug Herceptin, Gerry Northam examines the way in which Britain approves new drugs for use in the NHS. Is there needless bureaucracy? [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

After the controversy over the breast cancer drug Herceptin, Gerry Northam examines the way in which Britain approves new drugs for use in the NHS. Is there needless bureaucracy? [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

After the controversy over the breast cancer drug Herceptin, Gerry Northam examines the way in which Britain approves new drugs for use in the NHS.

Is there needless bureaucracy?

20051122

20051127

Brussels has 15,000 lobbyists whose job it is to try to influence European policy. But does a lack of regulation and transparency allow them and their corporate clients too much influence over the decisions that are made?

Sarah Spiller reports.

Brussels has 15,000 lobbyists whose job it is to try to influence European policy.

But does a lack of regulation and transparency allow them and their corporate clients too much influence over the decisions that are made?

20051129

20051204

Following the string of high profile cases in which it was shown that mothers had been wrongly convicted of killing their children, the courts were expected to take a more cautious approach to charges of abuse.

But how much has really changed? John Sweeney investigates two new cases in which families claim they've suffered a miscarriage of justice.

20051206

20051211

Floods, heatwaves and extreme weather all suggest that climate change could pose real risks for the future. But as the countries that back the Kyoto global warming treaty meet in Montreal, have Britain's own efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions run into the sand?

Floods, heatwaves and extreme weather all suggest that climate change could pose real risks for the future.

But as the countries that back the Kyoto global warming treaty meet in Montreal, have Britain's own efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions run into the sand?

20051213

20051218

Jenny Cuffe investigates claims of delays and falling public confidence in the way the police deal with 999 calls. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Jenny Cuffe investigates claims of delays and falling public confidence in the way the police deal with 999 calls. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Jenny Cuffe investigates claims of delays and falling public confidence in the way the police deal with 999 calls.

20060131

20060205

Public sector spending on private consultants is now costing billions of pounds, with everyone from Whitehall departments to hospital trusts hiring in external advisors.

But who decides if their advice is a good use of public money, and who assesses their effectiveness?

Allan Urry investigates.

20060207

20060212

The public is supposed to be protected from the most dangerous criminals when they are released from prison. But recent cases of brutal murder reveal serious flaws in the system for managing risk.

Gerry Northam reports.

The public is supposed to be protected from the most dangerous criminals when they are released from prison. But recent cases of brutal murder reveal serious flaws in the system for managing risk. Gerry Northam reports.

The public is supposed to be protected from the most dangerous criminals when they are released from prison.

But recent cases of brutal murder reveal serious flaws in the system for managing risk.

20060214

20060219

In the wake of the Buncefield blast, just how safe are British oil depots and other hazardous sites? Julian O'Halloran reveals that there have been a series of lucky escapes. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

In the wake of the Buncefield blast, just how safe are British oil depots and other hazardous sites? Julian O'Halloran reveals that there have been a series of lucky escapes. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

In the wake of the Buncefield blast, just how safe are British oil depots and other hazardous sites? Julian O'halloran reveals that there have been a series of lucky escapes.

20060221

20060226

Head teachers are now among Britain's most powerful public sector managers. Education reforms have left them in charge of budgets worth millions - and with little outside control. As ministers press ahead with measures designed to give schools even more financial freedom, Fran Abrams asks: 'When heads step over the line, who steps in?'

Head teachers are now among Britain's most powerful public sector managers.

Education reforms have left them in charge of budgets worth millions - and with little outside control.

As ministers press ahead with measures designed to give schools even more financial freedom, Fran Abrams asks: 'When heads step over the line, who steps in?'.

20060228

20060305

Kate Clark reports from southern Afghanistan where a vanguard of British troops arrives ahead of a larger deployment in the spring. How great are the risks in an area where suicide bomb attacks are on the increase and where the Taleban are said to be resurgent?

Kate Clark reports from southern Afghanistan where a vanguard of British troops arrives ahead of a larger deployment in the spring.

How great are the risks in an area where suicide bomb attacks are on the increase and where the Taleban are said to be resurgent?

20060307

20060312

With the number of reported rapes continuing to rise, BBC correspondent Danny Shaw asks why so few still end in a successful prosecution. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

With the number of reported rapes continuing to rise, BBC correspondent Danny Shaw asks why so few end in a successful prosecution. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

With the number of reported rapes continuing to rise, BBC correspondent Danny Shaw asks why so few still end in a successful prosecution.

With the number of reported rapes continuing to rise, BBC correspondent Danny Shaw asks why so few end in a successful prosecution.

20060314

20060319

In the fight against terrorism, how secure are Britain's ports and airports? Gerry Northam examines fears that dangerous people or substances can be too readily shipped in. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

In the fight against terrorism, how secure are Britain's ports and airports? Gerry Northam examines fears that dangerous people or substances can be too readily shipped in. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

In the fight against terrorism, how secure are Britain's ports and airports? Gerry Northam examines fears that dangerous people or substances can be too readily shipped in.

20060321

20060326

The Child Support Agency is the latest in an ever increasing line of public bodies to enlist the help of bailiffs to help collect monies owed to them in taxes, fines and maintenance payments.

Allan Urry investigates and asks who benefits when the bailiff calls.

20060328

20060402

As a new exodus of refugees from troubled Darfur threatens the stability of neighbouring Chad, reporter Liz Carney asks whether three years of international diplomacy has done anything to ease the plight of refugees or to halt the violence of marauding militias.

20060523

20060528

Iraqi security forces have been supplied with weapons in complex arms deals involving the US and UK. But in a country awash with as many as eight million small arms and a thriving black market, Allan Urry examines concerns that guns destined for soldiers and police are being diverted to insurgents, for use against British and American troops.

Iraqi security forces have been supplied with weapons in complex arms deals involving the US and UK.

But in a country awash with as many as eight million small arms and a thriving black market, Allan Urry examines concerns that guns destined for soldiers and police are being diverted to insurgents, for use against British and American troops.

20060530

20060604

As the NHS faces a massive cash crisis, the government insists its multi-billion pound computer project is to press ahead despite widespread opposition from doctors. Has Whitehall got the prescription wrong? Gerry Northam reports.

As the NHS faces a massive cash crisis, the government insists its multi-billion pound computer project is to press ahead despite widespread opposition from doctors.

The recent suicide of Alison Davies, and her disabled son Ryan - the mother and son who threw themselves from the Humber Bridge - has highlighted the desperation families face caring for some of Britain's most vulnerable children. Sarah Spiller investigates the new crisis in respite care.

The recent apparent suicide of Alison Davies, and the death of her disabled son Ryan - the mother and son who fell from the Humber Bridge - has highlighted the desperation families face caring for some of Britain's most vulnerable children. Sarah Spiller investigates the new crisis in respite care.

The recent apparent suicide of Alison Davies, and the death of her disabled son Ryan - the mother and son who fell from the Humber Bridge - has highlighted the desperation families face caring for some of Britain's most vulnerable children.

Sarah Spiller investigates the new crisis in respite care.

20060606

20060612

Zaiba Malik asks what safeguards exist to prevent convicted European rapists and murderers entering the UK to commit violent new crimes. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

20060613

20060618

With growing concern over foreign criminals being released rather than deported at the end of their prison sentences, Zaiba Malik asks what safeguards exist to prevent convicted European rapists and murderers entering the UK to commit violent new crimes.

20060618

20060620

20060625

Miriam O'reilly asks who should be accountable for the failure of the new rural payments scheme that has brought many English farmers to the brink of financial ruin.

20060627

20060702

Julian O'Halloran investigates the problems with the UK's water supply and asks if the regulatory bodies are doing enough to force the water companies to keep their promises. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Julian O'Halloran investigates the problems with the UK's water supply and asks if the regulatory bodies are doing enough to force the water companies to keep their promises.

20060704

20060709

As the US celebrates Independence Day, Jenny Cuffe investigates growing concern among American Muslims about measures being taken to combat home-grown terrorism.

[Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

As the US celebrates Independence Day, Jenny Cuffe investigates growing concern among American Muslims about measures being taken to combat home-grown terrorism. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

As the US celebrated Independence Day last week, Jenny Cuffe investigates growing concern among American Muslims about measures being taken to combat home-grown terrorism. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

20060711

20060716

As the police inquiry into loans and honours continues, Fran Abrams looks at the activities of some of the government's other business friends.

As the police inquiry into loans and honours continues, Fran Abrams looks at the activities of some of the government's other business friends. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

20060718

20060723

With the price of gold surging to new heights, British investors are pumping billions of pounds into new mining ventures around the globe. Angus Stickler investigates claims that multinational companies are stripping developing countries of their natural resources, wreaking environmental and social havoc in some of the poorest nations in the world.

With the price of gold surging to new heights, British investors are pumping billions of pounds into new mining ventures around the globe.

Angus Stickler investigates claims that multi-national companies are stripping developing countries of their natural resources, wreaking environmental and social havoc in some of the poorest nations in the world.

20060725

20060730

The government wants the interests of crime victims to be a central part of the justice system.

But how well are victims currently treated by prosecutors? With Gerry Northam

The government wants the interests of crime victims to be a central part of the justice system. But how well are victims currently treated by prosecutors? With Gerry Northam. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

The government wants the interests of crime victims to be a central part of the justice system. But how well are victims currently treated by prosecutors? With Gerry Northam. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

20060801

20060806

Julian O'Halloran investigates cases of teenagers in custody which point to a lack of care, and asks if some of these youngsters should be in prison at all. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Julian O'halloran investigates cases of teenagers in custody which point to a lack of care, and asks if some of these youngsters should be in prison at all.

Julian O'Halloran investigates cases of teenagers in custody which point to a lack of care, and asks if some of these youngsters should be in prison at all. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

20061003

20061008

A year after the devastating earthquake in Pakistan, Kate Clark investigates the consequences of allowing extremist Islamic groups and their humanitarian wings to play a major role in the relief and recovery operation.

20061010

20061015

As concern grows about heavy fighting in Afghanistan and mounting casualties in Iraq, Allan Urry investigates the system for Defence procurement and asks why British troops can't get some of the equipment they need to help keep them safe.

As former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra begins a new life in London, Fran Abrams asks why Britain remains the destination of choice for controversial foreign politicians.

As former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra begins a new life in London, Fran Abrams asks why Britain remains the destination of choice for many controversial foreign politicians.

20061107

20061112

As the political and military post mortems continue in Israel over the invasion of Lebanon, Paul Adams reports from Jerusalem on the aftermath of the conflict and its implications for the Middle East peace process.

20061114

20061119

Richard Watson investigates the extent of radicalisation among Britain's Muslim communities and asks if enough is being done to tackle the problem.

Richard Watson investigates the extent of radicalisation among Britain's Muslim communities and asks if enough is being done to tackle the problem. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

20061121

20061126

Gerry Northam investigates the use of bugging and surveillance in the fight against terrorism and major crime and asks whether evidence so obtained should be admissible in court. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Gerry Northam investigates the use of bugging and surveillance in the fight against terrorism and major crime and asks whether evidence so obtained should be admissible in court.

Gerry Northam investigates the use of bugging and surveillance in the fight against terrorism and organised crime and asks whether evidence obtained from such methods should be admissible in court.

20061128

20061203

With a new superbug more virulent than MRSA on the rise in Britain's hospitals, Allan Urry asks whether the government is doing enough to protect patients from infections.

With a new superbug more virulent than MRSA on the rise in Britain's hospitals, Allan Urry asks whether the government is doing enough to protect patients from infections. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

20061205

20061210

As cracks are revealed at the heart of nuclear reactors, dealing a massive blow to generator British Energy and posing major safety questions, Julian O'Halloran asks if Britain has become dangerously dependent on a fleet of ageing and decrepit nuclear power stations.

20070130

20070204

As Britain's top military brass say more should be done to support troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, the programme investigates the way in which the MoD treats soldiers who have been badly injured and the families of those killed in action.

20070206

20070211

Russia has denied any part in the death by radiation poisoning of ex-KGB man Alexander Litvinenko. And the Kremlin has spoken of a Cold War mentality in the West.

But Julian O'Halloran reports from St Petersburg and Moscow on a series of mystery deaths which raise further suspicions and questions over the role of the authorities.

So why is it closing the agency which seizes their assets? Gerry Northam investigates.

Major issues at home and abroad.

The government promised to hit major criminals where it hurts. So why is it closing the agency which seizes their assets? Gerry Northam investigates.

20070227

20070304

With attention focused again on the diamond trade, Fran Abrams reports from one of the world's most unstable countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo, on 'conflict copper' and the other less glamorous minerals that fuel violence.

20070306

20070311

Stephen Grey tells the inside story of Britain's dirty war against drugs.

Why did a controversial policy of using major dealers as informants do so little to stem the flow of drugs on to our streets?

Stephen Grey tells the inside story of Britain's dirty war against drugs. Why did a controversial policy of using major dealers as informants do so little to stem the flow of drugs on to our streets?

20070313

20070318

Major issues at home and abroad. With Jenny Cuffe.

20070320

20070325

Gerry Northam investigates reports that Britain's most vulnerable adults are not properly protected from abuse by the very people who are paid to care for them.

20070327

Teenage gun crime in Britain is a matter of increasing concern.

Ministers are promising action, but where are young gang members obtaining their firearms? Allan Urry investigates.

Teenage gun crime in Britain is a matter of increasing concern. Ministers are promising action, but where are young gang members obtaining their firearms? Allan Urry investigates.

20070529

20070603

Allan Urry investigates the effects of budget cuts on the Royal Navy as an enquiry about the recent capture of British sailors in the Persian Gulf gets under way.

20070605

20070610

Julian O'Halloran explores current attempts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and asks whether carbon trading and similar schemes can have any impact on climate change.

20070612

20070617

Gerry Northam reports on the Private Finance Initiative. A keystone of Gordon Brown's policy as Chancellor, the scheme is showing signs of strain. Have the billions spent on projects including schools and hospitals been used wisely?

There have been at least a dozen so-called honour killings during the last year, but it is claimed that official figures conceal a much more widespread problem.

Angus Stickler investigates honour-based violence in the UK, which frequently involves crimes against women in Muslim communities. There have been at least a dozen so-called honour killings during the last year, but it is claimed that official figures conceal a much more widespread problem.

20070703

20070708

International pressure is mounting over Iran's development of its nuclear programme.

Allan Urry asks whether the UK and Europe are doing enough to prevent the Iranians from acquiring sensitive military technology and equipment from western companies.

International pressure is mounting over Iran's development of its nuclear programme. Allan Urry asks whether the UK and Europe are doing enough to prevent the Iranians from acquiring sensitive military technology and equipment from western companies.

20070710

20070715

With Britain in the middle of a construction boom, Julian O'Halloran investigates claims of cartels and price-rigging, and assesses how much such practices could be adding to the final bills faced by UK plc.

20070717

20070722

Gerry Northam reports on how the allocation system for council housing works and asks if local people are losing out to economic migrants.

20070724

20070729

Ministers believe that investment, rather than aid, is the key to lifting developing countries out of poverty.

Ministers believe that investment, rather than aid, is the key to lifting developing countries out of poverty. But is this theory borne out by facts? Fran Abrams investigates.

20070731

20070805

The government is expected to issue the first tenders for the controversial ID card scheme this month.

Sarah Spiller asks whether the project will be a valuable weapon to combat fraud and terrorism or an expensive flop.

The government is expected to issue the first tenders for the controversial ID card scheme this month. Sarah Spiller asks whether the project will be a valuable weapon to combat fraud and terrorism or an expensive flop.

20070918

20070923

Allan Urry investigates cases of abuse in homes for elderly people in care and asks why it seems so difficult to monitor such cases and to obtain redress when they are discovered.

20070925

20070930

As American house prices are hit by a flood of defaults on home loans, Michael Robinson investigates growing concerns about unchecked borrowing and the potential danger for the UK housing market.

20071002

20071007

Kate Clark looks at conditions in Basra after the British handover.

20071009

20071014

New research suggests that occupational cancer deaths in the UK could be far higher than previously thought.

Tim Whewell asks if the Health and Safety Executive is doing enough to prevent work-related cancers.

New research suggests that occupational cancer deaths in the UK could be far higher than previously thought. Tim Whewell asks if the Health and Safety Executive is doing enough to prevent work-related cancers.

20071016

20071021

Billions of pounds are allocated for regeneration projects in the UK, but are the proper accounting procedures in place? The European Commission has recently stopped some payments.

Billions of pounds are allocated for regeneration projects in the UK, but are the proper accounting procedures in place? The European Commission has recently stopped some payments. Gerry Northam investigates.

20071023

20071028

Allan Urry investigates the growing impact of crack cocaine on society as its use spreads across the UK's towns and cities. He reports on the violent gangs who supply the drug, police efforts to tackle the organisations behind its distribution and the growing numbers of children taken in to care due to the reckless behaviour of parents.

Allan Urry investigates the growing impact of crack cocaine on society as its use spreads across the UK's towns and cities.

He reports on the violent gangs who supply the drug, police efforts to tackle the organisations behind its distribution and the growing numbers of children taken in to care due to the reckless behaviour of parents.

20071030

20071104

Julian O'Halloran reports on the tensions which have resurfaced in America's Deep South following a case of alleged racial injustice and white supremacist provocation. The resultant wave of protest has rekindled memories of the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s.

Julian O'halloran reports on the tensions which have resurfaced in America's Deep South following a case of alleged racial injustice and white supremacist provocation.

The resultant wave of protest has rekindled memories of the Civil Rights marches of the 1960s.

20071106

20071111

BBC Business Editor Robert Peston investigates the causes of the recent Northern Rock crisis.

20071120

20071125

Gerry Northam investigates reports that research into the development of new cancer treatments is being jeopardised by failure to take basic precautions in laboratories.

20080205

20080210

In the wake of the New Year chaos on Britain's railways, Julian O'Halloran looks at Network Rail's performance on track maintenance and its record on safety checks.

20080212

20080217

The major political parties' fundraising methods have all come under close scrutiny recently, but concerns are now being expressed over the finances of the British National Party.

The major political parties' fundraising methods have all come under close scrutiny recently, but concerns are now being expressed over the finances of the British National Party. Fran Abrams investigates.

20080219

20080224

Town halls are facing thousands of backdated equal pay claims from women workers.

But how are cash-strapped local authorities going to meet bills which could amount to almost three billion pounds? Jenny Cuffe reports.

Town halls are facing thousands of backdated equal pay claims from women workers. But how are cash-strapped local authorities going to meet bills which could amount to almost three billion pounds? Jenny Cuffe reports.

20080226

20080302

Armadeep Basset reports on the activities of UK-based Sikh groups in support of a violent campaign for an independent homeland in the Punjab.

20080304

20080309

As the goverrnment devolves more responsibilities to England's nine Regional Development Agencies, Allan Urry investigates their performance.

Critics claim they are unaccountable, out of touch and poor value for their budget.

As the goverrnment devolves more responsibilities to England's nine Regional Development Agencies, Allan Urry investigates their performance. Critics claim they are unaccountable, out of touch and poor value for their budget.

20080311

20080316

Julian O'Halloran reports on a new compensation scheme for wounded soldiers which began in 2005 but appears not to have met victims' expectations.

20080325

20080330

Angus Stickler investigates the market for platinum.

An essential component of the catalytic convertors which clean up car emissions, this metal is now twice the price of gold.

But as mining companies rush to exploit South Africa's reserves, traditional farmers are claiming that they are being forced off their ancestral lands.

Angus Stickler investigates the market for platinum. An essential component of the catalytic convertors which clean up car emissions, this metal is now twice the price of gold. But as mining companies rush to exploit South Africa's reserves, traditional farmers are claiming that they are being forced off their ancestral lands.

20080525

20080601

Allan Urry reports from Liverpool. The city is celebrating its status as European Capital of Culture, yet the City Council is the subject of scathing reports by government auditors.

20080603

20080608

Fran Abrams investigates the financial war against terrorism in the light of a recent High Court ruling that suspects' assets cannot be frozen.

20080608

Fran Abrams investigates the financial war against terrorism in the light of a recent High Court ruling that suspects' assets cannot be frozen.

20080615

20080622

Gerry Northam investigates claims that tens of thousands of elderly dementia sufferers are being given powerful drugs which are unnecessary and have potentially lethal side effects.

20080706

20080713

Allan Urry investigates the impact of the economic downturn on urban regeneration as the credit crunch and falling property values force some developers to abandon their plans, leaving local authority partners unable to develop key sites.

20080720

20080921

While Britain's hospitals struggle to contain the spread of MRSA, Jenny Cuffe reports on a new and potentially fatal strain of the bacteria which attacks children and young people in the community. Experts warn that the death toll will continue to rise unless the government takes decisive action.

20080928

20081021

20081026

As millions of families struggle to pay rocketing gas and electricity bills, Julian O'halloran investigates claims that our bills may be hundreds of pounds too high because of weak regulation, bad planning and the fact that the market is dominated by just six big companies.

20081026

As millions of families struggle to pay rocketing gas and electricity bills, Julian O'Halloran investigates claims that our bills may be hundreds of pounds too high because of weak regulation, bad planning and the fact that the market is dominated by just six big companies.

20081028

20081102

Tim Whewell reports from Georgia, reassessing the origins of the recent conflict with Russia.

He investigates who was responsible for the outbreak of hostilities and whether the fighting could have been avoided, and assesses its impact on leaders in Washington, Moscow and Tbilisi.

Tim Whewell reports from Georgia, reassessing the origins of the recent conflict with Russia. He investigates who was responsible for the outbreak of hostilities and whether the fighting could have been avoided, and assesses its impact on leaders in Washington, Moscow and Tbilisi.

20081102

Tim Whewell reports from Georgia, reassessing the origins of the recent conflict with Russia. He investigates who was responsible for the outbreak of hostilities and whether the fighting could have been avoided, and assesses its impact on leaders in Washington, Moscow and Tbilisi.

20081111

20081116

Simon Cox investigates how English football's finances have got into such a mess.

With Premier League clubs alone currently in three billion pounds-worth of debt, the game's governing bodies in England and Europe want action and the UK government has called for a review of financial regulation within the game.

Simon Cox investigates how English football's finances have got into such a mess. With Premier League clubs alone currently in three billion pounds-worth of debt, the game's governing bodies in England and Europe want action and the UK government has called for a review of financial regulation within the game.

20081116

Simon Cox investigates how English football's finances have got into such a mess. With Premier League clubs alone currently in three billion pounds-worth of debt, the game's governing bodies in England and Europe want action and the UK government has called for a review of financial regulation within the game.

20081118

20081123

Amardeep Bassey investigates fears that some of the funds that Britain is spending on projects to prevent violent extremism taking root in Muslim communities may be falling into the hands of the very groups it is trying to defeat.

20090127

20090201

Jon Manel finds out if the law is keeping pace with the increasing numbers of British couples who are having children using surrogate mothers, both in Britain and abroad.

20090217

20090222

Michael Robinson investigates the legacy of toxic lending by British banks and reveals why the threat it poses to UK jobs, homes and incomes is especially acute.

Michael Robinson investigates the legacy of toxic lending by British banks.

20090224

20090301

Grant Ferrett investigates whether the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by Britain and Europe are adequate to stop wealth being channelled out of the country by people close to the Mugabe government.

20090310

20090315

Simon Cox examines the record of the Royal Military Police in dealing with alleged crimes by British forces both during operations and in peacetime.

The record of the Royal Military Police in dealing with alleged crimes by UK forces.

20090602

20090607

Jenny Cuffe asks if the government policy of tightening immigration rules to help preserve jobs for British workers is being undermined by employers who are intent on bringing overseas workers as a way of driving down pay.

Jenny Cuffe asks if the policy of preserving jobs for British workers is being undermined.

20090929

20091004

Following criticism of the NHS over the system failures which allowed a man with schizophrenia to kill two people, Miriam O'reilly investigates claims of widespread problems in community mental health services which are allowing dangerous patients to commit violent offences or to harm themselves.

Miriam O'reilly investigates claims of major problems in community mental health services.

20091006

20091011

With a Parliamentary report expected to add to criticism of Whitehall's defence purchasing systems, Gerry Northam asks why it seems so hard to buy the right equipment for our forces.

Gerry Northam asks why it seems so hard to buy the right equipment for our forces.

20091013

20091018

Fears over deep cuts in council jobs and services have brought predictions of a winter of discontent and strife unlike anything seen for 30 years.

But as councils prepare to wield the axe, Julian O'Halloran asks if some authorities have added to their budget crises by awarding over-the-top pay, perks and severance terms to their own top executives.

Julian O'Halloran examines the levels of pay awarded by some councils to their executives.

20100202

20100207

The government has pledged 150 million pounds to combat the threat of improvised explosive devices, which are now the biggest danger to British and other coalition troops in Afghanistan.

But is the UK doing enough to tackle the increasing threat they pose? Allan Urry investigates.

What is being done to tackle the threat of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan.

20100209

20100214

While Britain's top bankers celebrate their bonuses, Michael Robinson investigates the commercial property market and the nasty surprises that it may hold for the banks and for the long-suffering British taxpayers who bailed them out.

For years Britain has been criticised for failing to investigate and punish companies who use bribery and corruption to win contracts overseas.

Just before the General Election, Parliament approved a new Bribery law.

And in recent months the Serious Fraud Office has adopted a new strategy, prosecuting a string of British-based firms and managers who have pleaded guilty to corrupt practices abroad.

It seemed that prosecutors were finally beginning to get results.

But now English judges are objecting to the American-style plea bargains which have encouraged guilty companies to confess to past illegality.

One senior judge has warned prosecutors they have no power to strike such deals, which tend to offer a more lenient sentence in return for an admission of guilt.

And in another case, an executive who cooperated with prosecutors has been sentenced to a year in prison for helping to bribe officials in the Greek health service to buy his company's medical equipment.

In the first of a new series of 'File on 4', Allan Urry investigates bribery by British firms abroad, and serious disarray in the court system which should be bringing them to justice.

File on 4: Lifting the lid on illegal London - welcome to a world of forged documents and faked identities.

It's believed there are likely to be more than 200,000 illegal migrant workers in the UK's capital city.

But how are they able to survive.

How do they get work? In this special investigation, Jon Manel obtains rare access into the lives of some of London's illegal workers - lives often based on lies and deception.

He discovers that some are now so much part of the system, they even pay tax and national insurance.

He hears of miserable and difficult times spent living in the shadows.

But other illegal workers say they are making a bigger contribution than many who were born here.

"I'm doing a job that most English persons wouldn't do.

I think I've never seen an English person cleaning a toilet".

And he goes to a well known part of London that owes its survival to the workers who shouldn't be here.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Jon Manel lifts the lid on illegal working in London.

File on 4: Lifting the lid on illegal London - welcome to a world of forged documents and faked identities. It's believed there are likely to be more than 200,000 illegal migrant workers in the UK's capital city. But how are they able to survive. How do they get work? In this special investigation, Jon Manel obtains rare access into the lives of some of London's illegal workers - lives often based on lies and deception. He discovers that some are now so much part of the system, they even pay tax and national insurance.

He hears of miserable and difficult times spent living in the shadows. But other illegal workers say they are making a bigger contribution than many who were born here. "I'm doing a job that most English persons wouldn't do. I think I've never seen an English person cleaning a toilet". And he goes to a well known part of London that owes its survival to the workers who shouldn't be here.

When the tanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989, the resulting oil spill became the worst in American history.

Fisheries were closed and the local economy was undermined.

Many said such a disaster should never again befall American coastal communities.

Tankers were obliged to be constructed with a protective second skin, and the law was changed to give polluters the clear responsibility to pay for oil spills.

But as thousands of barrels a day continue to pour into the Gulf of Mexico, a growing chorus of critics is asking why more preparations were not made for such a tragedy? Gerry Northam reports.

Producer Andy Denwood

Editor David Ross.

Could lessons from past disasters have prevented BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?

20100727

A special court system is supposed to protect the interests of the vulnerable and the elderly.

It's appointed thousands of 'deputies' - or guardians - to ensure their money is properly managed.

The system was reformed three years ago - but have the changes worked?

There have been allegations the system is slow, bureaucratic and open to abuse.

In some cases lawyers are appointed to oversee people's financial arrangements - and families claim they charge excessive fees.

In other cases, it's a relative who's appointed as a deputy - but are there adequate safeguards to ensure they're not misappropriating the money? Fran Abrams investigates cases where the system has left some vulnerable people worse off.

How well does the Court of Protection safeguard the finances of the old and vulnerable?

A special court system is supposed to protect the interests of the vulnerable and the elderly. It's appointed thousands of 'deputies' - or guardians - to ensure their money is properly managed. The system was reformed three years ago - but have the changes worked?

There have been allegations the system is slow, bureaucratic and open to abuse. In some cases lawyers are appointed to oversee people's financial arrangements - and families claim they charge excessive fees. In other cases, it's a relative who's appointed as a deputy - but are there adequate safeguards to ensure they're not misappropriating the money? Fran Abrams investigates cases where the system has left some vulnerable people worse off.

20101005

The planned withdrawal of British and other foreign troops from Afghanistan relies on the Afghan army and police to take over security duties.

Since 2002, the USA has spent $27bn - over half of its total reconstruction fund - training and equipping Afghan forces.

The aim is to build up an army of 171,600 people and a police force of 134,000 by October 2011.

The Afghan President Hamid Karzai wants national forces to be in complete control of the country by 2014.

But these targets, and the loyalty of some personnel, are called into question by recent killings carried out by members of the Afghan security forces:

*20 July 2010: two US weapons trainers were shot dead by an Afghan soldier

*13 July 2010: three British soldiers were attacked by an Afghan soldier who shot one dead in his bed and fired a rocket-propelled grenade which killed two others

*3 November 2009: three British soldiers and two members of the Royal Military Police were shot dead by an Afghan policeman.

An investigation published in June 2010 by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that officials had often overstated the readiness of Afghan forces, rating some units as first class when they were incapable of fighting the Taliban on their own.

It also reported high levels of desertion, corruption and drug abuse.

Gerry Northam asks if the transition to Afghan control is really on track.

Producer: David Lewis Editor: David Ross.

Can Afghan forces guarantee the country's security when British and other troops pull out?

Since 2002, the USA has spent $27bn - over half of its total reconstruction fund - training and equipping Afghan forces. The aim is to build up an army of 171,600 people and a police force of 134,000 by October 2011.

An investigation published in June 2010 by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that officials had often overstated the readiness of Afghan forces, rating some units as first class when they were incapable of fighting the Taliban on their own. It also reported high levels of desertion, corruption and drug abuse.

20101012

Do Insolvency Practitioners measure up to the high standards expected of them when they are called in to a stricken business? Allan Urry examines concerns that some IP's don't always act in the best interests of creditors who are owed money when companies fail.

Are landlords right to complain they've been getting a raw deal because some corporate undertakers side too much with their retail paymasters, who are pushing for reduced rents because their businesses are in trouble.

The Office of Fair Trading is calling for far reaching reforms amid concerns about high fees and low recovery rates for some creditors.

So is there proper oversight of a profession which takes a billion pounds in fees each year, but isn't subjected to much public scrutiny?

PRODUCER: Paul Grant.

Allan Urry investigates concerns about the role of insolvency practitioners.

Do Insolvency Practitioners measure up to the high standards expected of them when they are called in to a stricken business? Allan Urry examines concerns that some IP's don't always act in the best interests of creditors who are owed money when companies fail. Are landlords right to complain they've been getting a raw deal because some corporate undertakers side too much with their retail paymasters, who are pushing for reduced rents because their businesses are in trouble.

The Office of Fair Trading is calling for far reaching reforms amid concerns about high fees and low recovery rates for some creditors. So is there proper oversight of a profession which takes a billion pounds in fees each year, but isn't subjected to much public scrutiny?

20101102

Jenny Cuffe investigates how British-based Somalis are being lured into fighting for the al-Qaeda-linked Islamists of al-Shabaab.

There have been consistent rumours that dozens, perhaps scores of British-based Somali men have travelled to Somalia to join the militant Islamist group which was banned by the British Government earlier this year.

In September the rumours were given new urgency when the Director of MI5, Jonathan Evans, warned it was only a matter of time before the UK suffered an act of terrorism committed by al-Shabaab-trained Britons.

File on 4 explores the techniques used by Al-Shabaab to persuade young members of the 250,000-strong British Somali community to sign up for Jihad in Somalia.

Members of the close-knit and reticent British Somali community tell Jenny Cuffe of their fears that youngsters are being seduced through the internet and by shadowy recruiting sergeants for the Horn of Africa's most feared military force.

And the programme travels to the state of Minnesota to see how a vigorous FBI investigation and cooperation from the Somali community have laid-bare a pipeline which first lured, then transported young American Somalis to the training camps and battlefields of Somalia.

Producer: Andy Denwood.

How British Somalis are recruited to fight for the banned Islamist group, al-Shabaab.

File on 4 explores the techniques used by Al-Shabaab to persuade young members of the 250,000-strong British Somali community to sign up for Jihad in Somalia. Members of the close-knit and reticent British Somali community tell Jenny Cuffe of their fears that youngsters are being seduced through the internet and by shadowy recruiting sergeants for the Horn of Africa's most feared military force.

20110607

Is Iran exploiting the turmoil caused by the Arab Spring, and the uncertainly following the killing of Osama Bin Laden? After Iranian military rockets were found on the battlefields of Afghanistan, Allan Urry assesses new evidence alleging Iran's closer ties with al Qaeda and the Taliban.

And, with more illicit shipments of weapons from Iran being seized in the Middle East, in breach of a UN arms embargo, the programme also reports on the discovery of a weapons smuggling ring set up in the heart of Europe to service Tehran.

It also investigates the involvement of a former British Royal Marine in the ring.

Producer Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Allan Urry investigates claims that Iran has been stepping up its support for terrorism.

Is Iran exploiting the turmoil caused by the Arab Spring, and the uncertainly following the killing of Osama Bin Laden? After Iranian military rockets were found on the battlefields of Afghanistan, Allan Urry assesses new evidence alleging Iran's closer ties with al Qaeda and the Taliban. And, with more illicit shipments of weapons from Iran being seized in the Middle East, in breach of a UN arms embargo, the programme also reports on the discovery of a weapons smuggling ring set up in the heart of Europe to service Tehran. It also investigates the involvement of a former British Royal Marine in the ring.

20110628

Over the last month Britain's biggest provider of care homes for the elderly, Southern Cross, has been beset by financial woes.

But across the country an even deeper crisis is unfolding as local authorities implement massive budget cuts.

This week File on 4 investigates how cutbacks are leaving elderly people with insufficient care, and councils with a major financial headache.

The programme also hears from small care home providers who say they are being forced out of business because the fees local authorities now pay them are too low.

And with the report from a Government commission due in a few days, the programme asks whether the gap in funding for the care of elderly people can be closed..

Reporter: Fran Abrams

Producer: Gail Champion.

Why the UK's elderly care sector is facing a financial crisis.

Over the last month Britain's biggest provider of care homes for the elderly, Southern Cross, has been beset by financial woes. But across the country an even deeper crisis is unfolding as local authorities implement massive budget cuts.

20110705

In the wake of the financial disaster, policy makers and regulators around the world pledged to make banking safer and more transparent.

But the reality, many experts claim, is proving very different.

For this edition of File on 4, Michael Robinson investigates some of the apparently straightforward financial products banks now offer and uncovers disturbing complexity.

One product, called Exchange Traded Funds, appears to offer private individuals and pension funds a cheap and simple way to invest - in anything from the top 100 companies on the British stock exchange, to obscure companies in emerging economies or even to baskets of commodities.

Beneath this apparent simplicity, the programme discovers that many EFTs hide a forest of financial engineering designed to increase the profits of the banks which provide them.

But at what risk?

Another product, so-called "Naked Credit Default Swaps" may have an obscure name but they were at the heart of the financial crisis and are still one of the most widespread instruments used by banks.

They are now accused by some of exacerbating Europe's sovereign debt problems.

A leading British financial academic likens them to taking out insurance on someone else's life.

There is then an obvious incentive, he tells the programme, to push the person who's life you have insured under a bus.

On both sides of the Atlantic, regulators hoped to reduce the risks of this massive market.

Do the complex financial products banks still offer threaten another meltdown?

In the wake of the financial disaster, policy makers and regulators around the world pledged to make banking safer and more transparent. But the reality, many experts claim, is proving very different.

Beneath this apparent simplicity, the programme discovers that many EFTs hide a forest of financial engineering designed to increase the profits of the banks which provide them. But at what risk?

Another product, so-called "Naked Credit Default Swaps" may have an obscure name but they were at the heart of the financial crisis and are still one of the most widespread instruments used by banks. They are now accused by some of exacerbating Europe's sovereign debt problems.

A leading British financial academic likens them to taking out insurance on someone else's life. There is then an obvious incentive, he tells the programme, to push the person who's life you have insured under a bus.

On both sides of the Atlantic, regulators hoped to reduce the risks of this massive market. But, as the programme discovers, there's widespread doubt among financial professionals that they've succeeded.

20110712

The Border Agency is charged with preventing drugs, weapons and would-be illegal immigrants from getting to the UK.

But three years after being created, the Agency has been accused by MPs of failing to enforce immigration rules.

Faced with cuts to its budget and the loss of around one-fifth of its staff over the next four years, the Agency is looking to new technology to improve its effectiveness.

But with delays to the e-borders project and problems with existing computer systems, Morland Sanders investigates whether the strategy will work.

Facing massive job cuts, will the Border Agency be able to protect the UK's frontiers?

The Border Agency is charged with preventing drugs, weapons and would-be illegal immigrants from getting to the UK. But three years after being created, the Agency has been accused by MPs of failing to enforce immigration rules. Faced with cuts to its budget and the loss of around one-fifth of its staff over the next four years, the Agency is looking to new technology to improve its effectiveness. But with delays to the e-borders project and problems with existing computer systems, Morland Sanders investigates whether the strategy will work.

20110719

Why are ambulances queuing up to unload patients needing treatment at hospital Accident and Emergency Departments? Some senior A and E medics say there are too few beds and not enough staff in a front line service struggling to cope.

Cash strapped NHS Trusts are closing casualty units, or replacing them with lower grade Urgent Care Centres but what's been the impact on patients? Allan Urry asks whether A and E is on life support, at a time when the NHS is trying to make £20 billions savings without compromising patient care.

Presenter: Allan Urry

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

Allan Urry examines claims of a crisis in hospital accident and emergency services.

Why are ambulances queuing up to unload patients needing treatment at hospital Accident and Emergency Departments? Some senior A and E medics say there are too few beds and not enough staff in a front line service struggling to cope. Cash strapped NHS Trusts are closing casualty units, or replacing them with lower grade Urgent Care Centres but what's been the impact on patients? Allan Urry asks whether A and E is on life support, at a time when the NHS is trying to make £20 billions savings without compromising patient care.

20110927

The Department of Health wants to slash £1.2 billion off the bill for hospital supplies -- everything from bandages and rubber gloves to operating tables and medical equipment.

The planned savings form part of the £20 billion in NHS efficiency savings the Government has pledged to make by 2014.

There's plenty of scope for savings.

A recent survey found one Hospital Trust bought 177 different types of surgical gloves.

Across the NHS, hospitals buy more than 1,700 different kinds of canula.

Rationalising this medical shopping list could free-up £500 million a year for investment in patient care, the National Audit Office estimates.

But can the increasingly complex NHS procurement system in England deliver the major savings the Government wants to see?

Critics say Foundation Hospital Trusts increasingly make their own buying decisions, with little or no national co-ordination.

Inside hospitals, managers tasked with purchasing millions of pounds worth of equipment often lack the authority or the support of their superiors to drive through savings.

Meanwhile new private sector companies are moving in to take over the purchase and supply of NHS equipment.

Will the Government's plans for a more devolved health service help or hinder the drive to save taxpayers' money.

Jenny Cuffe investigates.

Producer: Andy Denwood.

Does the NHS spend too much on bandages and syringes? Jenny Cuffe investigates.

There's plenty of scope for savings. A recent survey found one Hospital Trust bought 177 different types of surgical gloves. Across the NHS, hospitals buy more than 1,700 different kinds of canula. Rationalising this medical shopping list could free-up £500 million a year for investment in patient care, the National Audit Office estimates.

Critics say Foundation Hospital Trusts increasingly make their own buying decisions, with little or no national co-ordination. Inside hospitals, managers tasked with purchasing millions of pounds worth of equipment often lack the authority or the support of their superiors to drive through savings. Meanwhile new private sector companies are moving in to take over the purchase and supply of NHS equipment.

Will the Government's plans for a more devolved health service help or hinder the drive to save taxpayers' money. Jenny Cuffe investigates.

20111004

Household gas and electricity bills are set to soar, leaving millions at risk of 'fuel poverty' and vulnerable to cold as winter approaches.

The government's hopes for recovery in UK manufacturing industry are also threatened in key sectors by rocketing energy prices.

Some small and medium-sized businesses have already been pushed into liquidation and there are fears that others will follow.

Politically, attention is now focusing on the behaviour of the so-called Big Six energy companies which supply 99% of the gas and electricity used in British homes.

The regulator OFGEM accuses them of 'complex and unfair pricing policies'.

It wants to increase competition by making it simpler for customers to decide to switch suppliers.

It finds that prices go up like a rocket but fall like a feather.

And it wants greater disclosure of corporate accounting systems, to check for excessive profits.

Gerry Northam examines claims from some industry insiders that the Big Six are behaving as the banks did before the credit crunch - threatening economic recovery while believing they are too big to fail.

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

Are households and businesses being overcharged for gas and electricity?

The government's hopes for recovery in UK manufacturing industry are also threatened in key sectors by rocketing energy prices. Some small and medium-sized businesses have already been pushed into liquidation and there are fears that others will follow.

The regulator OFGEM accuses them of 'complex and unfair pricing policies'. It wants to increase competition by making it simpler for customers to decide to switch suppliers. It finds that prices go up like a rocket but fall like a feather. And it wants greater disclosure of corporate accounting systems, to check for excessive profits.

20111011

With the Government's controversial reforms under fire from countryside campaigners, Allan Urry investigates radical changes to the planning system.

Ministers insist more housing is needed, fuelling fears of greenfield sites being bulldozed.

But as they begin to slim down bureaucracy to speed up development, how many more homes are actually getting built?

Under the localism agenda, communities are being told they'll get much more say about who builds what in their neighbourhood.

But what happens if it's a waste incinerator or a power station? The programme reveals how local objections are likely to been given much less consideration.

Ministers insist more housing is needed, fuelling fears of greenfield sites being bulldozed. But as they begin to slim down bureaucracy to speed up development, how many more homes are actually getting built?

Under the localism agenda, communities are being told they'll get much more say about who builds what in their neighbourhood. But what happens if it's a waste incinerator or a power station? The programme reveals how local objections are likely to been given much less consideration.

Ofsted has a new, hard-line chief inspector and a new, tougher inspection regime - and in the past few months that has led to a spike in the number of schools deemed inadequate.

Predictably, there has been a corresponding wave of anger in schools - with a growing number taking to the courts to challenge the inspectors' views?

So are the inspectors really up to the job? And who inspects the inspectors?

Fran Abrams investigates.

Producer: Rob Cave.

20120807

20120812

World health chiefs have branded diesel exhaust emissions a major cause of cancer. Despite the efforts of car-makers to filter out the most noxious substances, these fumes still play a big part in causing air pollution.

Britain has the second worst respiratory death rates in Europe and has long been under notice from Brussels to clean up its act. So why are most UK areas in breach of legal limits?

And do ministers have any clear plan to reduce the huge annual total of resulting deaths?

Julian O'Halloran investigates.

Producer : Rob Cave.

Is enough being done to combat diesel pollution which is blamed for thousands of deaths?

20141014

20141019 (R4)

What lies behind plans to outsource NHS cancer care in parts of the Midlands?

In the biggest outsourcing to date, the NHS in England has announced it is tendering a huge £700 million contract for providing NHS cancer care in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, along with another £500million for end of life care in the region. Officials say it will streamline services and provide better treatment while critics say it's the most reckless privatisation yet. BBC Health Editor Hugh Pym investigates..

Producer: Paul Grant.

20150303

Secure children's homes look after some of the country's most vulnerable youngsters. Largely run by local authorities, they provide safe accommodation for children placed on custody grounds or for welfare reasons because they present a danger to themselves or others. The demand for places is rising but the number of beds is falling. So where does that leave those they are meant to cater for? With the government currently conducting a review into the system, File on 4 gets rare access to one home in the Midlands to meet children and staff; and talks to those struggling to find places for children across the UK.

Complaints against the police are running at a record high. The vast majority, nine out of ten, are rejected from the start. But when complainants appeal to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, one in 2 cases is overturned. Others - disgruntled with the way they've been treated by the police - sue the force. File on 4 hears from people who've been battling for years to pursue a complaint and who claim the process is unfairly weighted in favour of the police.

In the Queen's Speech the Government confirmed its plans to overhaul the complaints system in order to restore public confidence. As part of the reform, Police and Crime Commissioners could be able to decide if they want to handle allegations against their local forces. The Commissioners themselves are divided on whether they want this additional role and critics say they would not have the resources to do it effectively.

So just what recourse do you have when you feel you've been dealt with unfairly by the police? And will the Home Office proposals make any difference? Claire Savage investigates.

Presenter: Claire Savage Producer: David Lewis.

20150915

20150920 (R4)

Under fire over controversial decisions, is the Crown Prosecution Service up to the job?

Controversial charging decisions in the cases of Lord Janner, Operation Elveden and a doctor accused of female genital mutilation have brought a hostile reaction in the media to the Director of Public Prosecutions and increasing concern about the health of her organisation - the Crown Prosecution Service.

Over the past five years the CPS has seen budget cuts of over 25% resulting in job losses and internal reforms. Despite this, the organisation maintains that it continues to improve performance - measured by conviction rates in both magistrates' and Crown Courts.

However, there are increasing concerns about staff morale, the quality of decision-making and the standard of advocacy in court. BBC Home Affairs Correspondent, Danny Shaw has been hearing frank testimony from both inside and outside the CPS which presents a revealing picture of the justice system in England and Wales.

Presenter: Danny Shaw Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

20151020

20151025 (R4)

Like other steel communities, Rotherham faces the loss of hundreds of jobs. It is the latest blow to a town now synonymous with widespread sexual abuse. So can Rotherham recover?

Like other steel communities, Rotherham faces the loss of hundreds of jobs following the recent announcement of redundancies at the local plant. It's the latest blow to a town now synonymous with widespread child grooming. Last year the Jay Report estimated that 1400 young people had been sexually abused there. It said most of the victims were white and most of the perpetrators were Asian men. So what's been the impact on community relations and how far has the scandal affected the local economy? For File on 4, Manveen Rana returns to the town to talk to families, business owners and the authorities to find out whether Rotherham can recover.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

A lasting legacy? Have the sexual abuse revelations blighted Rotherham in the longer-term?

20151103

20151108 (R4)

How safe are we in the hands of the growing number of agency staff at NHS hospitals?

How safe are we in the hands of locum staff at NHS hospitals? The Government's crackdown on big fees charged by agencies that hire them out has been making headlines, but what's being done to ensure they are up to the job?

Allan Urry investigates recent cases which raise questions about the quality of care delivered by some temporary staff. Should an agency doctor have better assessed a poorly surgical patient on his ward who died a short time later from a post -operative bleed? The programme also asks how well the agency sector is regulated following the revelation that a partly-qualified doctor was able to treat more than 3000 patients after lying about his qualifications.

Reporter: Allan Urry Producer: David Lewis.

20160112

20160117 (R4)

In the first of a new series, Allan Urry investigates claims by former officers from one of Britain's biggest police forces that they've been the victims of crimes committed by their own colleagues. He hears claims of dirty tricks by a secretive police unit within Greater Manchester Police which some officers say have led to criminal charges against them. Others say they've been unfairly targeted through the internal disciplinary process, with evidence distorted and statements changed.

Are they bad cops with an axe to grind or victims of corrupt practices and institutional cover up?

Producers: Sally Chesworth and Neil Morrow.

20160510

20160515 (R4)

The Serious Fraud Office has begun an investigation into allegations of corruption in the award of multi-million pound oil contracts in the Middle East. Oil consulting firm Unaoil, based in Monaco, denies that it helped British and other companies win contracts by corrupting politicians and government officials.

The investigation follows a leak of thousands of emails and other documents. Jane Deith has been given access to the leaked papers and reveals what they tell us about the business of oil.

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Paul Grant.

The Serious Fraud Office has begun an investigation into allegations of corruption in the award of multi-million pound oil contracts in the Middle East. A Monaco based company, Unaoil, denies that it helped British and other companies win contracts by corrupting politicians and government officials.

20170926

Current affairs documentary series.

Adoption can transform lives. Today, most children available for adoption have had a difficult start. Removed from birth parents and taken into care, many have experienced abuse and neglect which can leave them with complex mental health and/or developmental needs. Adoption can provide them with stable and loving homes.

But what happens when the challenges the adoptive family faces become overwhelming? And is there enough support available to the families who give a home to some of the most vulnerable children in society?

File on 4 hears from adoptive parents struggling to cope with their children's complex problems - and battling with the authorities to get the help they desperately need.

The charity Adoption UK thinks as many as a quarter of all adoptive families are in crisis and in need of professional help to keep their family together. But are adoptive parents given enough information about the challenges they are likely to face and when they do encounter problems, is there enough help available?

Two years ago, the government set up a special fund designed to help adoptive families in England access a range of post-adoption therapeutic services. To date, more than £52 million has been spent via the Adoption Support Fund. But where is the money going and are the treatments on offer proven to be effective?

The truth is that no one really knows how many adoptions are 'disrupted' or end up in full break down when the child is permanently returned to care. But when they do, it is devastating for everyone involved. We speak to families fighting to get the help they need to stay together.

Reporter: Alys HarteProducer: Jane Drinkwater.

*

20080129

20080203

As investigations continue into the cause of the blaze at the Royal Marsden, Allan Urry asks whether fire safety standards in Britain's hospitals are good enough.

*

20080318

20080323

Danny Shaw looks at government proposals to deal with prison overcrowding and asks whether bigger jails will solve the problem.

He reports from Europe's largest prison at Fleury Merogis, near Paris.

Danny Shaw looks at government proposals to deal with prison overcrowding and asks whether bigger jails will solve the problem. He reports from Europe's largest prison at Fleury Merogis, near Paris.

*

20080520

20080525

Major issues at home and abroad.

*

20080617

20080622

Gerry Northam investigates claims that tens of thousands of elderly dementia sufferers are being given powerful psychiatric drugs which are not only unnecessary but also have potentially lethal side effects.

*

20080624

Kate Clark investigates efforts to stem the opium trade in Afghanistan, which is said to bankroll the Taliban.

*

20080629

Kate Clark investigates efforts to stem the opium trade in Afghanistan, which is said to bankroll the Taliban.

*

20080701

20080706

Lesley Curwen investigates growing concerns that many blood transfusions are unnecessary and could do more harm than good to patients.

*

20080708

*

20080916

20080921

While Britain's hospitals struggle to contain the spread of MRSA, Jenny Cuffe reports on a new and potentially fatal strain of the bacteria which attacks children and young people in the community.

Experts warn that the death toll will continue to rise unless the government takes decisive action.

*

20090120

20090125

Julian O'halloran examines Britain's insolvency laws and asks whether weaknesses in regulation and enforcement are being exploited by some company directors to unfairly dispose of debts.

Allan Urry investigates how criminal syndicates have been able to target GPs, hospitals and chemists with cheap counterfeit drugs.

With the NHS under pressure to cut its 11 billion-pound annual spending on medicines, has the hunt for cheaper alternatives opened the door to these dangerous fakes?

*

20090303

20090308

Julian O'halloran investigates claims that overreaction by schools to minor incidents or unproven allegations is ruining the careers of hundreds of innocent teachers.

As efforts to protect children from abuse or cruelty are intensified, Julian asks if some safety measures have gone too far?

Julian O'halloran asks if school safety measures to protect children have gone too far?

*

20090526

20090531

Allan Urry investigates more claims of bad behaviour on the part of bankers, and follows the David and Goliath struggle of a group of small business owners who are battling to force one of the high street giants to take responsibility for the decisions that they claim left them in ruins.

Allan Urry investigates more claims of bad behaviour on the part of bankers.

*

20090623

20090628

The government's flagship policy for public investment, the Private Finance Initiative, has always relied on big loans from banks.

But now, as lenders demand far more for their money, Michael Robinson investigates disturbing increases in the cost of building our schools, hospitals and roads.

In today's economic climate, does PFI represent value for money for hard-pressed taxpayers?

*

20090630

20090705

With payouts in clinical negligence cases expected to reach a record 700 million pounds in 2010, Miriam O'reilly investigates no-win, no-fee lawyers.

Some of them are allowed to charge up to 800 pounds per hour in bringing claims against the NHS, enabling many law firms to earn substantially more in fees than their clients receive in damages.

Miriam O'reilly investigates the no-win, no-fee lawyers who bring claims against the NHS.

*

20090707

20090712

Following a series of blunders by the justice authorities, who left a dangerous criminal free to torture and murder two French students in London, Allan Urry asks whether government ministers can still justify their claim that Britain's system of public protection from violent offenders and sex abusers is among the best in the world.

Is Britain's system of public protection from violent offenders still among the best?

*

20090714

20090719

With an inquiry underway into the mid-air explosion in 2006 aboard a Nimrod aircraft, which killed 14 service personnel, Angus Stickler examines the safety record of the RAF in recent conflicts.

Angus Stickler examines the safety record of the RAF in recent conflicts.

*

20090728

20090802

As evidence continues to emerge about the CIA's secret detention and interrogation programme, calls grow on this side of the Atlantic for an inquiry into claims that Britain colluded in the torture of suspects.

Stephen Grey investigates the relationship between the US and the UK security services in the hidden War on Terror.

*

20090922

20090927

As the government's strategy for combating extremism is revised to focus on white racist groups as well as Islamic radicals, Allan Urry assesses the threat of attacks by right-wing extremists and fears that they could lead to a rise in racial tensions.

*

20091103

20091108

The head of the Financial Services Authority, Lord Turner, has questioned the social usefulness of what banks do.

But as he and other regulators wrestle with ways of controlling so-called 'casino operations', Michael Robinson lifts the lid on the latest tricks of the trade which some banks are now using to increase profits.

Michael Robinson examines the latest tricks which some banks are using to increase profits

*

20091117

20091122

With record gold prices stimulating demand, Jenny Cuffe reports from the Democratic Republic of Congo on the scale of illegal mining and asks if the industry does enough to ensure that gold supplies aren't being used to fund conflict.

Jenny Cuffe reports from DR Congo on the scale of illegal gold mining.

*

20091124

20091129

With around 8,000 people waiting for an organ transplant in the UK, hospitals are having to use organs from the elderly, smokers, cancer sufferers and drug abusers.

Gerry Northam examines the dilemmas posed for doctors and assesses the risks to transplant patients.

*

20091201

20091206

US troops have handed control for security in Iraq back to the Iraqi government, which was supposed to be the first sign that normality was returning to the streets.

So why are thousands of Iraqi refugees still refusing to return home? Kate Clark invesigates.

After two big scandals in a year over dire standards in hospitals which put patients at serious risk, Julian O'halloran asks how many people are still being killed by avoidable medical blunders, and how far the NHS has progressed since it began to address the problem ten years ago.

Julian O'halloran asks how many people are being killed by avoidable hospital blunders.

*

20100309

20100314

Five years ago the government promised to provide a safety net for when pension funds went bust, but this new scheme is already more than a billion pounds in deficit.

Fran Abrams investigates allegations that some companies are simply dumping their obligations and leaving the Pensions Protection Fund - and in some cases the taxpayer - to pick up the bill.

Investigating allegations that some companies are failing their pension fund obligations.

*

20100323

20100328

The government is promising extra help for people out of work during the recession.

But, as Britain braces itself for a rise in unemployment, Allan Urry reports from the communities already hardest hit and asks what redundant steelmakers, public sector workers and others joining the dole queue can really expect at the Jobcentre.

Allan Urry reports from the communities already hardest hit by the rise in unemployment.

* *

20080122

20080127

Five years after Lord Laming's inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, children are still dying at the hands of their parents or carers.

The Laming Report called for a major reform of the way child abuse cases are handled, but how much has changed?

Five years after Lord Laming's inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, children are still dying at the hands of their parents or carers. The Laming Report called for a major reform of the way child abuse cases are handled, but how much has changed?

* *

20080527

20080601

Allan Urry reports from Liverpool.

The city is celebrating its status as European Capital of Culture and its regeneration programme is one of Europe's biggest.

The area should be booming, yet Liverpool City Council is faced with mounting debts and is the subject of scathing reports by government auditors.

Allan Urry reports from Liverpool. The city is celebrating its status as European Capital of Culture and its regeneration programme is one of Europe's biggest. The area should be booming, yet Liverpool City Council is faced with mounting debts and is the subject of scathing reports by government auditors.

* *

20080715

20080720

Gerry Northam investigates the Colonial Development Corporation, established in 1948 to promote industry and agriculture in the poorest parts of the British Empire.

Rumours of impending privatisation of the agency are circulating, and its critics claim that it is increasingly concerned with making profits rather than relieving poverty.

Gerry Northam investigates the Colonial Development Corporation, established in 1948 to promote industry and agriculture in the poorest parts of the British Empire. Rumours of impending privatisation of the agency are circulating, and its critics claim that it is increasingly concerned with making profits rather than relieving poverty.

* *

20080923

20080928

Allan Urry examines the case for linking animal cruelty with child abuse, amid concerns expressed by organisations such as the RSPCA and the NSPCC that offenders may be more likely to commit both crimes.

* *

20090210

20090215

Lucy Ash investigates the behind-the-scenes role played by Egypt and its President Hosni Mubarak in the latest crisis in Gaza.

Mubarak may have placed himself at the centre of attempts to end the conflict, but how will he weather the mounting criticism levelled at him both at home and abroad?

The role played by Egypt and its President Hosni Mubarak in the Gaza crisis.

* *

20090317

20090322

As local authorities struggle to balance the books because of the economic downturn, Allan Urry reports on a crisis in town hall finances.

At a time when councils say that they are being forced to lay off thousands of staff, Allan asks why they have been investing a billion pounds of taxpayers' cash in banks which have crashed, with no sign of recovering the money.

* *

20090331

20090405

Shari Vahl investigates the extent to which inadequate safeguards to property rights in Britain might be contributing to the theft of millions of pounds, as criminals 'steal' houses from under the noses of homeowners by exploiting the way Land Registry information is made available.

* *

20090609

20090614

Julian O'halloran investigates claims that industrial-scale pig farms in America played a key role in exposing us to the swine flu virus.

Local people near the first known case in Mexico questioned the role of an American-owned industrial scale pig farm not far away.

Any link was strenuously denied, however, and the US pork industry soon helped persuade medical authorities to drop the term 'swine flu'.

But for years American virologists have been studying the links between new and potentially risky flu viruses and farm animals.

Whatever the role of pig farms in Mexico, experts say that parts of the current flu virus can be traced back to outbreaks of swine flu, then affecting only pigs, in several American states in 1998.

As Julian reports from the USA, the move to highly intensive pig farming methods by some companies has long been denounced by green groups and the animal welfare lobby, who allege massive damage to the environment, intolerable smells, and health risks to farm workers and their families.

Now they are asking if factory farming conditions could have increased the dangers of a global flu pandemic.

As ministers decide whether a 12-billion-pound NHS computer project in England offers value for money, Gerry Northam asks if some major IT projects could be scrapped by a new government looking for big spending cuts.

Gerry Northam asks if some major IT projects could be scrapped by a new government.

* *

20100316

20100321

Around a third of all youngsters who have been abused are victims of other children and young people.

Jackie Long investigates what is done to help young abusers stop offending and asks why so many are slipping through the net.

Jackie Long finds out what is being done to help young abusers stop offending.

* * *

20091208

20091213

The government's forensic science service is crucial to taclking crime, but is shedding hundreds of jobs and closing half its laboratory facilities in a drive to make the organisation more commercial.

Fran Abrams investigates whether or not the aggressive cost-cutting in beginning to hit the way the service operates and consequently undermine justice.

01/06/2010

20100606

The UK has some of the highest rates of stillbirths and early neonatal deaths in Europe.

There have been calls for improved care in hospital labour wards and an increase in research efforts to discover why so many apparently perfectly normal babies die.

However there is growing concern that in some hospitals, these deaths are not being properly investigated.

Parents report difficulties in finding out full details of what went wrong.

Shortages of specialist pathologists have meant that crucial post-mortem examinations are never carried out.

And the inquest system is patchy when it comes to discovering the cause of a new born baby's death.

For 'File on 4', Ann Alexander investigates.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Ann Alexander asks why the UK has some of the highest rates of stillbirths in Europe.

Allan Urry investigates how criminal syndicates have been able to target GPs, hospitals and chemists with cheap counterfeit drugs.

With the NHS under pressure to cut its 11 billion-pound annual spending on medicines, has the hunt for cheaper alternatives opened the door to these dangerous fakes?

Allan Urry investigates the sale of counterfeit drugs to GPs, hospitals and chemists.

03/03/2009

20090308

03/11/2009

20091108

05/07/2011

20110710

Do the complex financial products banks still offer threaten another meltdown?

05/10/2010

20101010

The planned withdrawal of British and other foreign troops from Afghanistan relies on the Afghan army and police to take over security duties.

Since 2002, the USA has spent $27bn - over half of its total reconstruction fund - training and equipping Afghan forces.

The aim is to build up an army of 171,600 people and a police force of 134,000 by October 2011.

The Afghan President Hamid Karzai wants national forces to be in complete control of the country by 2014.

But these targets, and the loyalty of some personnel, are called into question by recent killings carried out by members of the Afghan security forces:

*20 July 2010: two US weapons trainers were shot dead by an Afghan soldier

*13 July 2010: three British soldiers were attacked by an Afghan soldier who shot one dead in his bed and fired a rocket-propelled grenade which killed two others

*3 November 2009: three British soldiers and two members of the Royal Military Police were shot dead by an Afghan policeman.

An investigation published in June 2010 by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction found that officials had often overstated the readiness of Afghan forces, rating some units as first class when they were incapable of fighting the Taliban on their own.

It also reported high levels of desertion, corruption and drug abuse.

Gerry Northam asks if the transition to Afghan control is really on track.

Producer: David Lewis Editor: David Ross.

Can Afghan forces guarantee the country's security when British and other troops pull out?

06/07/2010

20100711

File on 4: Lifting the lid on illegal London - welcome to a world of forged documents and faked identities.

It's believed there are likely to be more than 200,000 illegal migrant workers in the UK's capital city.

But how are they able to survive.

How do they get work? In this special investigation, Jon Manel obtains rare access into the lives of some of London's illegal workers - lives often based on lies and deception.

He discovers that some are now so much part of the system, they even pay tax and national insurance.

He hears of miserable and difficult times spent living in the shadows.

But other illegal workers say they are making a bigger contribution than many who were born here.

"I'm doing a job that most English persons wouldn't do.

I think I've never seen an English person cleaning a toilet".

And he goes to a well known part of London that owes its survival to the workers who shouldn't be here.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Jon Manel lifts the lid on illegal working in London.

06/10/2009

20091011

07/06/2011

20110612

Allan Urry investigates claims that Iran has been stepping up its support for terrorism.

07/07/2009

20090712

08/06/2010

20100613

As MPs and senior officials retire on 'gold-plated' pensions, the media report that public sector pension schemes are heading for crisis because of multi-billion pound funding deficits.

Local Councils alone are said to face a black hole of £53bn, which critics claim can only be filled by drastic cuts in entitlements and increased contributions from staff.

Both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are committed to reform of the system.

Unions are planning a campaign to preserve their members' rights and have already secured a significant court victory blocking cuts to redundancy payments.

Gerry Northam looks behind the headlines and asks if there really is a looming pensions crisis.

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

Is there really a crisis over public sector pensions? Gerry Northam investigates.

08/12/2009

20091213

09/02/2010

20100214

09/03/2010

20100314

09/06/2009

20090614

10/02/2009

20090215

10/03/2009

20090315

The record of the Royal Military Police in dealing with alleged crimes by UK forces.

10/11/2009

20091115

12/07/2011

20110717

Facing massive job cuts, will the Border Agency be able to protect the UK's frontiers?

13/07/2010

20100718

Britain claims to have one of the most effective arms export control regimes in the world, but Allan Urry investigates how weapons dealers are using the UK to get huge secret consignments to the Middle East and other conflict zones, in defiance of UN Security Council sanctions.

New research plays down claims of an epidemic of mental illness among soldiers who've served in Afghanistan.

But do the official figures tell the full story? Julian O'halloran investigates and speaks to veterans who warn of a huge hidden problem and a culture that still pressurises soldiers to get on with the job rather than seek help.

And he reports from The Netherlands on efforts there to discover the extent of the psychological damage their military personnel may be suffering.

Producer Sally Chesworth.

Is there a hidden epidemic of mental illness among soldiers who've served in Afghanistan?

16/02/2010

20100221

16/03/2010

20100321

16/06/2009

20090621

17/02/2009

20090222

17/03/2009

20090322

Allan Urry reports on a crisis in town hall finances.

17/11/2009

20091122

18/11/2008

20081123

Amardeep Bassey investigates the funding of projects to reduce Islamic extremism in the UK

Amardeep Bassey investigates fears that some of the funds that Britain is spending on projects to prevent violent extremism taking root in Muslim communities may be falling into the hands of the very groups it is trying to defeat.

19/01/2010

20100124

19/07/2011

20110724

Allan Urry examines claims of a crisis in hospital accident and emergency services.

20/01/2009

20090125

21/07/2009

20090726

22/06/2010

20100627

Described as the modern-day face of slavery, scores of foreign workers are being brought into the UK to work in domestic servitude.

They work long hours - often under physical duress and for low or non-existent pay.

File on 4 investigates whether the authorities are doing enough to protect these workers - and to prosecute the people who've exploited them.

Gerry Northam examines the problems being posed by the shortage of organs for transplants.

25/05/2010

20100530

25/11/2008

20081125

20081130

Michael Robinson investigates whether the Prime Minister's instruction to banks to keep funds flowing will halt the rise in evictions and unemployment as repossession rates rocket due to the credit crunch.

Michael Robinson investigates the rise in evictions and unemployment.

26/01/2010

20100131

26/05/2009

20090531

27/07/2010

20100801

A special court system is supposed to protect the interests of the vulnerable and the elderly.

It's appointed thousands of 'deputies' - or guardians - to ensure their money is properly managed.

The system was reformed three years ago - but have the changes worked?

There have been allegations the system is slow, bureaucratic and open to abuse.

In some cases lawyers are appointed to oversee people's financial arrangements - and families claim they charge excessive fees.

In other cases, it's a relative who's appointed as a deputy - but are there adequate safeguards to ensure they're not misappropriating the money? Fran Abrams investigates cases where the system has left some vulnerable people worse off.

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

How well does the Court of Protection safeguard the finances of the old and vulnerable?

A special court system is supposed to protect the interests of the vulnerable and the elderly. It's appointed thousands of 'deputies' - or guardians - to ensure their money is properly managed. The system was reformed three years ago - but have the changes worked?

There have been allegations the system is slow, bureaucratic and open to abuse. In some cases lawyers are appointed to oversee people's financial arrangements - and families claim they charge excessive fees. In other cases, it's a relative who's appointed as a deputy - but are there adequate safeguards to ensure they're not misappropriating the money? Fran Abrams investigates cases where the system has left some vulnerable people worse off.

28/06/2011

20110703

Why the UK's elderly care sector is facing a financial crisis.

28/07/2009

20090802

29/06/2010

20100704

Is Britain's economic recovery going to be stifled by banks not offering sufficient finance to small and medium size companies?

Firms are concerned that although the banks say they are open for business the reality of the terms, conditions and fees make it unrealistic for them to apply for finance.

In frustration, some businesses have turned to foreign banks to make finance available to them.

And at a time when hi-tech businesses are seen as a source of future growth for the British economy, companies complain that banks are assessing loan applications using traditional business criteria which offer little support to this sector.

As the part state owned banks fail to meet lending targets set by the previous administration, the new Business Secretary Vince Cable says he is determined to address this.

But in the current climate how much more financial help can British business really expect?

For 'File on 4', Morland Sanders investigates.

Producer Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Is economic recovery at risk as banks are failing to lend? Morland Sanders investigates.

As the part state owned banks fail to meet lending targets set by the previous administration, the new Business Secretary Vince Cable says he is determined to address this. But in the current climate how much more financial help can British business really expect?

29/09/2009

20091004

30/06/2009

20090705

31/03/2009

20090405

Shari Vahl investigates the adequacy of safeguards to property rights in Britain.

911 Lawsuits

20031007

20031012

A Bridge Too Far?

20120320

20120325

A Bridge Too Far?

20120325

To the west of Edinburgh, construction of the new £1.5bn Forth road bridge will use cement shipped across the North Sea under a contract with a German supplier. Scotland's only cement company, based 40 miles from the bridge, was unsuccessful in the bidding. It is claimed that the deal could have maintained 130 jobs in the Dunbar area.

£790m worth of steel for the bridge will also come from abroad. A plant near Motherwell lost out as part of a consortium bidding for the work. It says the contract could have secured hundreds of local jobs.

Officials insist that they have to follow EU rules which state that any company across the single market can bid for public contracts. But analysts complain that UK authorities interpret these rules more narrowly than their European counterparts, to the detriment of British firms. French public spending goes outside France at only half the rate that British contracts go abroad.

With the economy struggling, the Government has pledged support for British business but accepts that public projects are too often awarded in a way that disadvantages domestic companies. So can it take action to support UK jobs without being accused of protectionism?

Reporter: Gerry Northam

Producer: Gail Champion.

Why do so many British public sector contracts go to foreign companies?

A Deadly Dilemma

20140701

20140706

In many parts of the world, charities are trying to deliver much-needed aid to desperate people living in areas controlled by militant groups. What do they do when counter-terrorism laws ban them from contact with those de facto authorities?

Risk of prosecution has now created a climate of fear in many aid agencies - and the UN wants counter-terrorism policies redrawn to ensure lives can be saved without charity workers risking jail.

Tim Whewell reports from Gaza - and talks to aid workers operating in Syria, Somalia and other places - on the practical and moral dilemmas involved.

Producer: Paul Grant.

A Deadly Prescription

20180130

As deaths involving prescription drugs increase, who is supplying demand on the streets?

There were a record 3,744 drug related deaths in England and Wales last year. While many were linked to street drugs such as heroin, a growing number also involve prescription medicines such as benzodiazepines and Fentanyl. Fentanyl addiction has swept across North America where the drug and other synthetic opioids have been blamed for thousands of deaths. It hit the headlines here when it was linked to a spike in fatalities in certain parts of the UK after being mixed with heroin.Allan Urry travels to Stockton on Tees where ten deaths have been linked to Fentanyl and its derivatives. He meets users and their families and the medical professionals and police dealing with the problem. But while Fentanyl is currently in the spotlight, it is tranquilisers and other sedatives often used by heroin users to dull withdrawal symptoms which are contributing to many more deaths. Nowhere is the problem more acute than in Scotland where benzodiazepines contributed to nearly half of all drug deaths.Many of the pills known as "street valium" or "blues" are made in back street laboratories run by organised crime gangs. Users gamble with their lives as the ingredients and strength of the tablets are often unknown.But File on 4 has discovered that organised crime gangs have also become involved in diverting significant numbers of highly addictive medicines from the legitimate supply chain onto the black market.Regulators say there is an extensive network of criminality involving businesses such as wholesale dealers and registered pharmacies. Some in the pharmaceutical industry such as drug manufacturers are repeating calls for supply chain regulation to be reviewed to ensure medicines reach their intended target.

Reporter: Allan UrryProducer: Paul Grant Editor: Gail Champion.

A Greek Tragedy

20170110

20170115 (R4)

The plight of unaccompanied child migrants arriving in Greece. Is the EU doing enough?

File on 4 sets off on a new series to find the forgotten children of Europe's refugee crisis.

As winter sets in, Phil Kemp heads to Greece in search of the teenagers who have arrived alone from Syria and Afghanistan, living by their wits on the streets of Athens.

The controversial deal struck between the EU and Turkey to return migrants who don't claim asylum or who have their claims rejected - and the closing of borders with Greece - has been blamed for making the situation worse for many migrants who now find themselves in limbo in Greece. The millions pledged by the EU don't seem to be bringing relief on the ground either.

The programme hears from the lucky ones who have found spaces at shelters for unaccompanied children in Greece's capital. Here they are fed, clothed and supported in their legal cases.

Others, on the island of Samos, are celebrating securing asylum in Greece. But most children on the island are not celebrating. They feel stuck in a system that cannot cope and held in a country that was meant to be a transit point, not a place to stay.

Increasingly the locals in Samos don't want them to say either. Tensions are flaring in the area around the vastly overcrowded camp, with Golden Dawn active nearby. Around 3,000 residents turned out to protest about their sense of abandonment by the Greek government and the EU. Local officials describe the island as 'trembling on a bridge above troubled water.'

With an estimated 2300 unaccompanied migrant children in Greece, more than half of whom are on the waiting list for shelter, File on 4 asks whether the EU is doing enough to care for those most in need of protection.

Reporter: Phil Kemp

Producer: Sally Chesworth

Editor: Gail Champion.

A Healthy Market?

20131112

20131117

What do we know about the deals struck with private companies to run parts of the NHS?

The biggest ever slice of the NHS is up for grabs in Cambridgeshire. Ten bidders, including NHS hospital trusts and private companies Serco, Virgin Care and Circle, are competing for a five year contract to run older peoples' services. It will be worth a minimum of £700,000. The successful bidder will provide everything from podiatry and occupational therapy to dementia treatment and end of life care. The stakes are high. But how much will patients be told about how the bid was won? With commissioners advertising dozens of other big money tenders, File on 4 looks at the secrecy surrounding NHS contracts when they're awarded and when they're challenged. Does commercial confidentiality make public accountability impossible? And how far does the competitive market improve healthcare for patients?

Reporter Jane Deith

Producer Ian Muir-Cochrane.

The biggest ever slice of the NHS is up for grabs in Cambridgeshire. Ten bidders, including NHS hospital trusts and private companies Serco, Virgin Care and Circle, are competing for a five year contract to run older peoples' services. It will be worth a minimum of £700,000. The successful bidder will provide everything from dentistry, to emergency hospital treatment and end of life care. The stakes are high. But how much will patients be told about how the bid was won? With commissioners advertising dozens of other big money tenders, File on 4 looks at the secrecy surrounding NHS contracts when they're awarded and when they're challenged. Does commercial confidentiality make public accountability impossible? And how far does the competitive market improve healthcare for patients?

A Living Death

20110621

20110626

A review into the care of patients in vegetative or low awareness states has been launched by the Royal College of Physicians.

There are thought to be as many as 5000 such people in the UK.

The working party will look at concerns that assessment and diagnosis of patients is not consistent across the country and will ask whether the cost of long term care is affordable to the NHS.

Ann Alexander examines calls for a reform of the process to end the life of such patients where their families believe their loved one would no longer wish to be alive.

The programme reveals how some hospitals appear unaware of the law and hears how the process can be lengthy and costly, putting families under further strain.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Should it be made simpler to end the life of patients in a vegetative state?

A review into the care of patients in vegetative or low awareness states has been launched by the Royal College of Physicians. There are thought to be as many as 5000 such people in the UK.

A Living Death

20110626

A review into the care of patients in vegetative or low awareness states has been launched by the Royal College of Physicians. There are thought to be as many as 5000 such people in the UK.

The working party will look at concerns that assessment and diagnosis of patients is not consistent across the country and will ask whether the cost of long term care is affordable to the NHS.

Ann Alexander examines calls for a reform of the process to end the life of such patients where their families believe their loved one would no longer wish to be alive.

The programme reveals how some hospitals appear unaware of the law and hears how the process can be lengthy and costly, putting families under further strain.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Should it be made simpler to end the life of patients in a vegetative state?

A Pensions Patchwork

20150310

20150315 (R4)

In Canada, everything is big - including powerful pension funds such as the Ontario Teachers fund which owns half of Birmingham airport and other large projects around the world. It's all a far cry from the British pension scene, where a hundred local government pension funds each run their own affairs separately and pay costly fees to City firms for investment advice.

Many of them still have financial deficits. Taxpayers have been forced to pick up bills to pay off those shortfalls and already hard-pressed local services have been stretched further.

Lesley Curwen investigates how these individual funds are run and asks whether we should have larger funds with cheaper costs - like Canada does. And she asks whether more councils should be using pension money to invest in housing and infrastructure as a way to boost their local economies?

Producer: Anna Meisel Reporter: Lesley Curwen.

A Place Of Safety?

20130730

20130804

Psychiatric hospitals have a duty to keep their patients safe, which means taking extra care with patients suffering acute depression who may be at risk of self-harm.

So campaigners argue that when a patient commits suicide, it is vital that a thorough investigation should discover any failings by doctors and nurses and any weaknesses in hospital systems of communication or levels of staffing.

But, unlike deaths in prison or police custody, fatalities in psychiatric units are not reviewed from the start by a fully independent investigator. Initial reports are usually prepared by staff of the NHS and kept confidential to the health officials and family concerned. Only at the subsequent inquest does an independent inquiry take over.

Critics call this 'a recipe for cover-up by the NHS'.

File on 4 reports on a series of suicides in one psychiatric unit which have led the local coroner to accuse the NHS of 'a catalogue of failures stemming from an institutional complacency'.

Reporter - Gerry Northam

Producer - Gail Champion.

A Taxing Dilemma

20101026

20101031

While the government axes public spending to try to cut the deficit, Michael Robinson investigates loopholes which let big businesses slash their UK tax bills.

This month George Osborne said he plans to make Britain the most attractive corporate tax regime in the G20.

But some companies have already moved abroad for tax reasons.

And for others able to operate on a global scale, there are many ways for them to reduce their tax liability.

This month George Osborne said he plans to make Britain the most attractive corporate tax regime in the G20. But some companies have already moved abroad for tax reasons. And for others able to operate on a global scale, there are many ways for them to reduce their tax liability. So how does the Government square the tax circle?

A Taxing Dilemma

20101031

While the government axes public spending to try to cut the deficit, Michael Robinson investigates loopholes which let big businesses slash their UK tax bills.

This month George Osborne said he plans to make Britain the most attractive corporate tax regime in the G20. But some companies have already moved abroad for tax reasons. And for others able to operate on a global scale, there are many ways for them to reduce their tax liability. So how does the Government square the tax circle?

Julian O'halloran investigates the events surrounding the fiasco of the opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow.

He examines the record of BAA, the company running several of Britain's busiest airports.

Abandoned To Their Fate

20150602

20150607 (R4)

Next month the National Audit Office is due to report on the outcomes for young people leaving care. There are claims that, under financial pressure, local authorities are pushing too many teenagers into independent living before they're ready. File on 4 investigates new figures that suggest many young care leavers are failing to cope - with large numbers ending up in custody, homeless, sexually exploited or pregnant. Social services chiefs say the welfare of care-leavers must be a key priority for the new government. But who holds them to account when they fail those they are meant to have looked after? And, with more cuts on the way, can the system cope? Fran Abrams reveals how hands-off caring can have tragic consequences.

About A Boy - The Hidden Victims Of Grooming

20170718

Are teenage boys let down by the system when they report being targeted by paedophiles?

What happens when your teenage son is targeted by abusers?

File on 4 tells one family's story of fighting the authorities to get support and justice after a 13 year old boy was aggressively groomed by scores of men, aged from their 20s to their 50s. It is a shocking story of opportunities missed, meaning the boy endured assaults by multiple men for years. We look at the impact of that sustained abuse on him and his parents, who were desperately trying to shield him from harm. He says he was dismissed, and even blamed by authorities responsible for protecting him.

Why were they so let down? And have the police been slow to get to grips with cases of child sexual exploitation when they involve boys?

One safeguarding expert tells the programme: "Policy is not matching practice on the ground. It was completely missed that this boy was a child. We need to lift the lid on what is going on when the victims are boys."

Are boys on the radar of authorities or are they grooming's hidden victims?

Reporter: Alys HarteProducer: Sally Chesworth.

Abuse In Sport

20120710

20120715

It was the Paul Hickson scandal in the mid 90s which first brought the issue of sexual abuse in sport to the public eye. The Olympic swimming coach was jailed for 17 years for raping and sexually abusing young girls he trained. The case led to the setting up of the Child Protection in Sport Unit and the introduction of safeguarding measures in most sports.

But, more than a decade on, the problem hasn't gone away and this edition of File on 4 reveals new figures which show how many allegations of sexual and physical abuse were made across most major sports last year.

The programme also examines concerns about the way information about coaches who have disciplined or banned, is shared with parents and other sports bodies, primarily because of data protection laws. It reveals how some coaches accused of sexual misconduct are able to move between sporting organisations and carry on coaching

Reporter Chris Buckler also hears calls from families and child welfare charities for a change in the law to make it illegal for coaches to have a sex with athletes aged 16 or 17 which would bring them in line with teachers and others who have close contact with young people

Presenter: Chris Buckler

Producer: Paul Grant.

Abused But Not Heard

20140916

20140921

Victims of sexual abuse at Knowl View school in Rochdale tell their side of the story.

Knowl View special school for boys has become infamous as the haunt of Cyril Smith. Prosecutors now say 'Mr Rochdale' should have been charged with abuse of boys while he was alive. But he was not the only one. In the first of a new series, former pupils in the 1970s, 80s and 90s tell File on 4 how a web of abusers, including local paedophiles and other pupils preyed on boys as young as eight while people supposed to protect them looked the other way. Previous police investigations came to nothing. A new probe is underway, focusing on who could be guilty of a criminal cover up. But what became of the innocent? Jane Deith hears from some of those who experienced life in Knowl View. Telling their stories for the first time, they describe childhoods twisted by sexual abuse. Now questions are being asked about whether the failure to end the abuse at Knowl View led to a culture in which the subsequent grooming of young girls in Rochdale was allowed to happen. Alan Collins, a specialist child abuse lawyer representing some of the men who're suing Rochdale Council over abuse at Know View, believes things would have been different had Cyril Smith been prosecuted and convicted: "That would have sent a clear message through Rochdale and much further afield that there was clearly a problem and that problem would not have been so easy to brush away. I think that had a very long tail and that that tail continued right up until recent times."

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Afghanistan Elections

20040629

20040704

As the US and Britain hand over power to a new administration in Iraq, Jenny Cuffe reports from Afghanistan on the attempts at nation-building there.

Elections are due in September, but with President Karzai's Government still deeply unpopular, and with the Taliban resurgent in the south, is Afghanistan really on the road back to democracy?

As the US and Britain hand over power to a new administration in Iraq, Jenny Cuffe reports from Afghanistan on the attempts at nation-building there. Elections are due in September, but with President Karzai's Government still deeply unpopular, and with the Taliban resurgent in the south, is Afghanistan really on the road back to democracy?

As the US and Britain hand over power to a new administration in Iraq, Jenny Cuffe reports from Afghanistan on the attempts at nation-building there. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

After The Floods - A Tale Of Two Cities

20160209

20160214 (R4)

The Dutch city of Nijmegen has much in common with the English city of York. Similar in size, both are much visited by tourists because of their histories and architecture. But both also have rivers running through them and are susceptible to flooding. So how do their defences compare? And, as York and other communities continue to mop up the damage caused by the latest catastrophic flooding, did basic mistakes and a failure of planning make a bad situation very much worse?

Reporter: Allan Urry Producer: Rob Cave.

Air Crashes

20110405

20110410

The investigation following an air disaster is supposed to make air travel safer.

But do the reports always get to the truth about why planes crash? Emma Jane Kirby examines claims that international air accident investigations are often slow, incompetent and influenced by political sensitivities.

So how does this affect the victims' families as they fight manufacturers and airlines for compensation? And could the blame game be preventing lessons being learned that could prevent future accidents?

Producer Jenny Chryss.

When a plane crashes, does the investigation always get to the real reasons?

The investigation following an air disaster is supposed to make air travel safer. But do the reports always get to the truth about why planes crash? Emma Jane Kirby examines claims that international air accident investigations are often slow, incompetent and influenced by political sensitivities. So how does this affect the victims' families as they fight manufacturers and airlines for compensation? And could the blame game be preventing lessons being learned that could prevent future accidents?

Air Crashes

20110410

When a plane crashes, does the investigation always get to the real reasons?

Airport Woes

20110222

2011022720110227 (R4)

Business travel and Christmas holidays were ruined for hundreds of thousands of people by snow.

While many airports abroad bounced back quickly from bad weather, some in Britain began to resemble refugee camps.

But discontent among passengers and airlines goes well beyond winter readiness.

Julian O'Halloran asks how one operator BAA, justifies its grip on no fewer than half a dozen British airports? And questions whether government and regulators need to take more control over the industry in order to prevent further damage to Britain's image abroad..

Producer : Samantha Fenwick.

Why were flights grounded by snow? Do Britain's airport woes run deeper than bad weather?

Business travel and Christmas holidays were ruined for hundreds of thousands of people by snow. While many airports abroad bounced back quickly from bad weather, some in Britain began to resemble refugee camps. But discontent among passengers and airlines goes well beyond winter readiness.

Airport Woes

20110227

Business travel and Christmas holidays were ruined for hundreds of thousands of people by snow. While many airports abroad bounced back quickly from bad weather, some in Britain began to resemble refugee camps. But discontent among passengers and airlines goes well beyond winter readiness.

Julian O'Halloran asks how one operator BAA, justifies its grip on no fewer than half a dozen British airports? And questions whether government and regulators need to take more control over the industry in order to prevent further damage to Britain's image abroad..

Producer : Samantha Fenwick.

Why were flights grounded by snow? Do Britain's airport woes run deeper than bad weather?

Alcohol Fraud

20121009

20121014

Alcohol smuggling is costing more than a billion pounds in lost taxes. Allan Urry reports.

A criminal gang was recently jailed for one of the biggest ever alcohol smuggling rackets in the UK. It's become big business for organised crime according to HMRC, with tax losses in unpaid duty as high as £1.2 billion per year. MP's are demanding tougher action. But these are highly complex frauds, which take years to investigate. Allan Urry examines the scale of the challenge facing the authorities, and reveals the extent to which criminals have penetrated the legitimate market in beer, wine and spirits

Presenter: Allan Urry

Producer: Paul Grant.

An Inside Job

20151110

20151115 (R4)

British people smugglers: inside the trade in bringing illegal immigrants into the UK.

An inside job: the Britons smuggling illegal immigrants into the UK.

File on 4 hears from Britons jailed for hiding people in their cars. They reveal why - and how - they did it.

They were paid to smuggle people across the Channel by gangs based in London and the North West.

This unofficial migrant taxi service - run from camps in Calais and Dunkirk - is believed to be netting criminal networks millions of pounds a year.

But even that is dwarfed by the money to be made by British criminals bringing migrants over by the lorry load. Jane Deith reveals how the trade is spreading along the coast of Northern Europe, to Belgium and Holland. And she hears from Europol's Chief of Staff about the extent to which criminal networks based in Britain are involved in people smuggling. He tells the programme that more than 800 people have been identified as suspects.

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Paul Grant.

An Inside Job?

20111101

20111106

The Justice Secretary Ken Clarke wants more jobs for convicts.

He told his party conference: "If we want prison to work, then our prisoners have got to be working".

He encourages private companies to open workshops inside prisons, where inmates would be 'properly paid' for hard work, would pay their due of taxes and help fund victims' support.

Mr Clarke points to a metal factory in a Merseyside prison where prisoners work a 40 hour week and learn skills which could make them more employable on release.

He argues that this will also make then less likely to return to crime.

But is this plan practicable?

Prison Governors say that two-thirds of their inmates were unemployed before they started their sentences and that they are generally reluctant to engage in meaningful work.

One prison reform group which set up a pioneering graphic design studio inside prison says the project was popular and effective among prisoners but was forced to close following hostility and obstruction from officers.

Gerry Northam asks if the government is overstating the possible advantages of its policy, and investigates whether it can be made to succeed at a time when the Ministry of Justice faces funding cuts.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Should more prisoners be made to work? And are government plans to make them realistic?

The Justice Secretary Ken Clarke wants more jobs for convicts. He told his party conference: "If we want prison to work, then our prisoners have got to be working". He encourages private companies to open workshops inside prisons, where inmates would be 'properly paid' for hard work, would pay their due of taxes and help fund victims' support.

Mr Clarke points to a metal factory in a Merseyside prison where prisoners work a 40 hour week and learn skills which could make them more employable on release. He argues that this will also make then less likely to return to crime.

Prison Governors say that two-thirds of their inmates were unemployed before they started their sentences and that they are generally reluctant to engage in meaningful work. They say many of them can hardly read and write.

Governors also fear that moving jobs inside prison would mean taking opportunities away from law-abiding job-seekers outside. And they complain that it would prove costly in terms of staff time.

An Inside Job?

20111106

The Justice Secretary Ken Clarke wants more jobs for convicts. He told his party conference: "If we want prison to work, then our prisoners have got to be working". He encourages private companies to open workshops inside prisons, where inmates would be 'properly paid' for hard work, would pay their due of taxes and help fund victims' support.

Mr Clarke points to a metal factory in a Merseyside prison where prisoners work a 40 hour week and learn skills which could make them more employable on release. He argues that this will also make then less likely to return to crime.

But is this plan practicable?

Prison Governors say that two-thirds of their inmates were unemployed before they started their sentences and that they are generally reluctant to engage in meaningful work. They say many of them can hardly read and write.

Governors also fear that moving jobs inside prison would mean taking opportunities away from law-abiding job-seekers outside. And they complain that it would prove costly in terms of staff time.

One prison reform group which set up a pioneering graphic design studio inside prison says the project was popular and effective among prisoners but was forced to close following hostility and obstruction from officers.

Gerry Northam asks if the government is overstating the possible advantages of its policy, and investigates whether it can be made to succeed at a time when the Ministry of Justice faces funding cuts.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Should more prisoners be made to work? And are government plans to make them realistic?

An Unsafe Conviction?

20160524

20160529 (R4)

For the past 22 years Thomas Bourke has been in prison for a double murder he says he didn't commit.

The killings made national headlines in 1993 when two MOT inspectors, Alan Singleton and Simon Bruno, were shot dead at a garage in Stockport, in Greater Manchester.

The evidence produced in court against Bourke seemed compelling. Two mechanics at the garage said they had seen him carry out the shooting which the prosecution claimed was motivated by a dispute about his licence to carry out MOT tests.

As the jury began their deliberations, a gun was found inside Strangeways prison where Bourke was on remand. Amid subsequent heightened security around the court, he was found guilty and given a minimum 25 year sentence. But protesting his innocence all these years means that he may never be eligible for parole so could remain in prison for the rest of his life.

His sister Jo has been tirelessly fighting his case. A chiropodist with no connections to criminals, she began visiting notorious drug dealers and suspected killers to try to gather new evidence that would help clear his name.

Through the work of Jo and other campaigners, Bourke's case is now back with the Criminal Cases Review Commission which they hope will lead to an appeal.

So has Thomas Bourke been the victim of a shocking miscarriage of justice? Simon Cox investigates.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Asset Returns

20120703

20120708

Are stolen Arab billions still locked in British banks? Jenny Cuffe reports.

The Arab world's newest governments are desperate to retrieve billions banked in Britain by despots including Libya's Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

The money, they say, was stolen from their people and is needed to rebuild shattered economies.

In 'File on 4' Jenny Cuffe reports on the Arab nations' mounting impatience at the lengthy and costly process of investigation demanded to prove that assets were illicitly obtained by the now deposed leaders, their families and associates.

Already Egypt has gone to court to demand more information from the British Treasury about where their lost billions are stashed.

And campaigners in Tunisia - the first of the Arab Spring nations - complain Britain is dragging its feet. They contrast slow progress in London with a more helpful response from the country once renowned as the most impenetrable of banking fortresses: Switzerland.

Producer: Andy Denwood

Presenter: Jenny Cuffe.

Asylum Seekers

20030701

20030706

With the Government promising to reduce the number of asylum seekers in Britain, Julian O'halloran examines progress so far.

Will the Prime Minister be able to deliver on his personal pledge to cut applications by fifty per cent by September? / "Can the government keep its promise to reduce the number of asylum seekers in Britain? Julian Halloran investigates.

".

Asylum Seekers

20150210

20150215 (R4)

Around 28 thousand people are claiming asylum in the UK. They're accommodated in some of the nation's most deprived areas while their cases are considered. Now, with numbers on the rise, some communities say they're struggling to cope. Allan Urry reports from the Northwest of England where, in some areas, there's concern about growing pressures on health services and schools. In Liverpool the City's Mayor, Joe Anderson, talks of an asylum "apartheid" and says other towns and cities need to take a fairer share. In Rochdale in Greater Manchester, there are more asylum seekers than the whole of the south east of England. The local MP Simon Danczuk says he's worried the pressures could undermine the good community relations that have always existed in the town.

Recent stories of asylum seekers living in fancy hotels have led to outraged newspaper headlines but are they a symptom of bigger failings in the UK's system for housing those who come here seeking refuge?

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Matt Precey.

Around 25 thousand people a year claim asylum in the UK. They're accommodated in some of the nation's most deprived areas while their cases are considered. Now, with numbers on the rise, some communities say they're struggling to cope. Allan Urry reports from Greater Manchester - which has more asylum seekers than the whole of the south east of England - on the pressures that the latest arrivals pose for local health services and schools. And he investigates conditions for those claiming refuge. Stories of asylum seekers living in fancy hotels have led to outraged newspaper headlines but are they a symptom of bigger failings in a system marked by sub-standard housing and long backlogs in dealing with cases?

Back Home From Isis

20180619

20180624 (R4)

What risks do returning jihadis from IS in Iraq and Syria pose in the UK?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

For years, the so-called Islamic State has managed to attract thousands of wannabe jihadis and jihadi brides to join their caliphate. The extremist propaganda, online videos and recruiters have seen thousands of people from all over the world flock to Iraq and Syria to join IS; including 850 men, women and children from the UK. The brutality of the terror group is now well known, partly due to their own publicity online. Videos and stories of beheadings, floggings and sex slaves have been released to the public, drawing in a new wave of foreign fighters.

IS has since had setbacks, losing ground in it's strongholds in Iraq and Syria and its administrative capital Raqqa. But the caliphate has not admitted defeat, instead promising more attacks in the West.

It's thought 50% of UK citizens who left to join IS, have now returned home- the rest are dead, detained or missing. What happens to these returnees when they come back? With only a minority being prosecuted and imprisoned, what efforts are being made to de-radicalise the rest?

This investigation explores the danger posed by UK returnees, the efforts to de-radicalise and reintegrate them and the difficulties of proving they were ever part of the caliphate once they've returned home.

Reporter: Paul KenyonProducer: Kate West Editor: Gail Champion.

Bad Solicitors

20040622

20040627

For years, trying to complain about bad solicitors has been fraught with difficulty.

As the Law Society's ability to control its members is yet again under scrutiny, Fran Abrams investigates growing concern over the extent of malpractice in the profession.

For years, trying to complain about bad solicitors has been fraught with difficulty. As the Law Society's ability to control its members is yet again under scrutiny, Fran Abrams investigates growing concern over the extent of malpractice in the profession.

Behind Closed Doors

20161025

20161030 (R4)

This July, days after walking into the top job at number 10, Theresa May renewed her commitment to crack down on modern day slavery, describing it as "the great human rights issue of our time".

The 2015 Modern Slavery Act gave prosecutors more options to pursue offenders, it handed judges the ability to dole out life sentences and promised more protection for victims. But in the clamour to tackle modern slavery, has the plight of overseas domestic workers, who toil in the homes of wealthy overseas visitors as nannies, cooks and cleaners, been forgotten?

This summer File on 4 followed migrant domestic workers as they escaped abusive employers in the dead of night. Through their stories, the programme questions whether recent measures go far enough to adequately protect an invisible workforce who've been tricked and trapped into a life of exploitation.

Reporter: Phillip Kemp

Producers: Sarah Shebbeare and Ben Robinson.

Benefit Sanctions

20150120

20150125 (R4)

are supposed to be part of a system helping people back to work. But critics say they penalise the vulnerable and are among the reasons for the growing use of food banks. So how fair is the Government's system of withholding state payments for those who don't comply with welfare rules? Allan Urry hears from whistleblowers who allege some JobCentrePlus staff are setting claimants up to fail in order to meet internal performance targets. Why did a recovering amputee lose his benefits because he didn't answer the phone?

Reporter: Allan Urry Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Benefit sanctions are supposed to be part of a system helping people back to work. But critics say they penalise the vulnerable and are among the reasons for the growing use of food banks. So how fair is the Government's system of withholding state payments for those who don't comply with welfare rules? Allan Urry hears from whistleblowers who allege some JobCentrePlus staff are setting claimants up to fail in order to meet internal performance targets. Why did a recovering amputee lose his benefits because he didn't answer the phone?

Benefit sanctions are aimed at shirkers, but is the system also penalising the vulnerable?

Bent Cops

20110208

20110213 (R4)

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Following a number of high profile trials in which officers have been jailed, Allan Urry investigates the crimes they committed and asks if more could have been done to stop them. A constable given a life sentence earlier this month for a series of sex attacks on vulnerable women he met while on duty, had previously been put on trial for rape, during his time in the army. Why didn't the police service know this when they agreed to employ him?

How was a police sergeant able to live a double life as a respected bobby and as the leader of a ruthless underworld crime gang, dealing drugs, laundering money, and intimidating witnesses?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Allan Urry investigates.

Bent Cops

20110213

20110215

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Following a number of high profile trials in which officers have been jailed, Allan Urry investigates the crimes they committed and asks if more could have been done to stop them.

A constable given a life sentence earlier this month for a series of sex attacks on vulnerable women he met while on duty, had previously been put on trial for rape, during his time in the army.

Why didn't the police service know this when they agreed to employ him?

How was a police sergeant able to live a double life as a respected bobby and as the leader of a ruthless underworld crime gang, dealing drugs, laundering money, and intimidating witnesses?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Allan Urry investigates.

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Following a number of high profile trials in which officers have been jailed, Allan Urry investigates the crimes they committed and asks if more could have been done to stop them. A constable given a life sentence earlier this month for a series of sex attacks on vulnerable women he met while on duty, had previously been put on trial for rape, during his time in the army. Why didn't the police service know this when they agreed to employ him?

Bent Cops

20110215

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Following a number of high profile trials in which officers have been jailed, Allan Urry investigates the crimes they committed and asks if more could have been done to stop them. A constable given a life sentence earlier this month for a series of sex attacks on vulnerable women he met while on duty, had previously been put on trial for rape, during his time in the army. Why didn't the police service know this when they agreed to employ him?

How was a police sergeant able to live a double life as a respected bobby and as the leader of a ruthless underworld crime gang, dealing drugs, laundering money, and intimidating witnesses?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Are police doing enough to tackle corruption in their ranks? Allan Urry investigates.

Biosecurity

20120207

20120212

Dutch and American scientists have succeeded in mutating a deadly bird-flu virus to make it easily transmissible to humans. If it got out, it could start a fatal epidemic. They keep it securely locked away in their laboratories, but want to publish the biological recipe for making it. In an unprecedented move, the U.S. government is pressing them to keep the details of their experiments secret for fear that bio-terrorists could use the organism to kill hundreds of millions of people.

At the same time, a rapidly developing branch of science known as 'synthetic biology' offers dramatic possibilities for developing new vaccines and targeting many lethal diseases. But does it also increase the risk that newly-created organisms could be used for harmful purposes as the necessary research techniques spread out from authorised laboratories to a network of DIY enthusiasts?

Could genetic mutation of pathogens become as commonplace as home-brewing? And how well protected is the UK against biological threats?

Reporter : Gerry Northam

Producer : Nicola Dowling

Editor : David Ross.

As scientists alter viruses to make potentially deadly mutations, is the public at risk?

Biosecurity

20120212

As scientists alter viruses to make potentially deadly mutations, is the public at risk?

Bitter Medicine

20110118

20110123

Legal aid has been withdrawn from a long-running case against a pharmaceutical giant.

Children born with severe disabilities, including spina bifida, were suing the manufacturer of an anti-epilepsy drug which their mothers took during pregnancy and which they blame for causing birth defects - a claim the company denies.

After years of legal proceedings which the claimants' solicitors say have so far cost £3.25m, the Legal Services Commision refused a much smaller sum to take the case to trial, just weeks before hearings were due to start.

As a result, more than a hundred claimants are left with no chance of their day in court.

Their case was not deemed strong enough to pass the standard test which requires them to prove that the drug doubled (at least) the risk of harm.

This test is called into question by experts in cases against pharmaceutical companies in Britain and the USA.

A lower level of proof is needed in American courts.

The government has announced that future patients in England and Wales alleging clinical negligence or personal injury can expect to have their applications for legal aid refused under its programme of spending cuts.

No such change of policy is planned in Scotland.

A case is proceeding there with support from legal aid by a patient who took another drug, for relieving arthritis, which is blamed for increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes - again this is denied by the company concerned.

Patients in England and Wales who took the same drug and suffered heart attacks have been turned down for legal aid funding and have shelved their cases.

Legal aid has been withdrawn from a long-running case against a pharmaceutical giant. Children born with severe disabilities, including spina bifida, were suing the manufacturer of an anti-epilepsy drug which their mothers took during pregnancy and which they blame for causing birth defects - a claim the company denies.

After years of legal proceedings which the claimants' solicitors say have so far cost £3.25m, the Legal Services Commision refused a much smaller sum to take the case to trial, just weeks before hearings were due to start. As a result, more than a hundred claimants are left with no chance of their day in court.

Their case was not deemed strong enough to pass the standard test which requires them to prove that the drug doubled (at least) the risk of harm. This test is called into question by experts in cases against pharmaceutical companies in Britain and the USA. A lower level of proof is needed in American courts.

The government has announced that future patients in England and Wales alleging clinical negligence or personal injury can expect to have their applications for legal aid refused under its programme of spending cuts.

No such change of policy is planned in Scotland. A case is proceeding there with support from legal aid by a patient who took another drug, for relieving arthritis, which is blamed for increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes - again this is denied by the company concerned. Patients in England and Wales who took the same drug and suffered heart attacks have been turned down for legal aid funding and have shelved their cases.

How well are Britain's borders patrolled and defended at a time when the authorities are battling to stem the flow of illegal immigrants coming across the Channel and tightening national security because of fears of a terrorist attack by extremists returning from fighting in Syria and Iraq?

Allan Urry assesses the vulnerability of our ports, struggling with cuts to Border Force personnel and problems with a computer system that was supposed to have identified all those coming into and going out of the UK. The programme reveals how security checks on cargo are being compromised and hears concern about the gaps in surveillance of our coastline.

Producer: Emma Forde

Reporter: Allan Urry.

Breaking Into Britain

20170117

20170122 (R4)

Revealed: the secret UK immigration dodges on offer on the high street.

Theresa May has promised to stick to a promise to bring down net migration to the tens of thousands, and post the vote for Brexit, is under pressure to be tough on immigration.

But File on 4 has found a market in fake documentation is helping some migrants who aren't eligible to come here, to get the necessary visas.

High street immigration advisers, and even a solicitor tell the programme's undercover researcher how to buy their way in using fake documentation.

The programme asks what the authorities are doing to catch the crooks.

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Paul Grant

Editor: Gail Champion.

Britain In Flood

20130226

20130303

Has the Government done enough to protect communities from flooding? Were cuts in river maintenance work responsible for farmers land in Somerset being underwater for months? Why are planners allowing developers to continue to build on floodplains? A committee of MPs accuses the Coalition of being woefully slow to bring in measures to combat the problem. Allan Urry investigates.

Producer Nicola Dowling.

Britain's Plutonium Mountain

20130219

20130224

The Government is currently deciding what to do with the UK's civilian plutonium stockpile - the largest in the world. Some are concerned that it could become the target of terrorists intent on making a dirty bomb.

The stockpile has come from nuclear waste that was reprocessed to extract plutonium which was to have been used to power a new generation of fast breeder reactors. But that project failed to be finished and now just over 100 tonnes of it is being stored at Sellafield in Cumbria. The stockpile grew even more when the UK received imports from Japan and Germany which it had hoped to convert into fuel - again this project has failed to deliver.

The Government is considering a number of options.

Convert the plutonium into mixed oxide (Mox) fuel and then burn the fuel in conventional, nuclear reactors. This would involve the construction of a second Mox fuel plant at Sellafield despite the fact the first plant failed to produce any significant amount of Mox and was closed in 2011.

Burn the plutonium in a new breed of Prism fast reactors. But critics say the technology is not proven and therefore risky.

Treat it as a deadly waste product and bury the plutonium currently stored at Sellafield deep underground for thousands of years. Again critics say burying waste is risky and even then the plutonium would have to be treated before it could go into the facility. Supporters of plutonium as fuel still claim that would be throwing away a potentially valuable asset. On top of that we are not likely to have a repository for decades and very few local authorities have volunteered to consider having it in their back yard.

Rob Broomby investigates the difficult questions facing the Government whose decision will potentially bring in a bill for the taxpayer of billions of pounds.

And how much of gamble will it be choosing what to do with this most deadly of substances?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

The Government is currently deciding what to do with the UK's civilian plutonium stockpile - the largest in world. Some are concerned that it could become the target of terrorists intent on making a dirty bomb.

Britain's Squalid Prisons - Who's To Blame?

Bungled Autopsies

20021001

20021006

Fran Abrams investigates a crisis in the forensic pathology service, asking if innocent people are being convicted because of bungled autopsies.

Business And Football

20031104

20031109

As increasing numbers of football clubs hit the financial buffers and slide into administration, Jenny Cuffe examines the realities of 'the beautiful game' for sides which play outside the lucrative Premiership.

Have those who run soccer done enough to referee the tensions between business and sport?

Cafcass

20030708

20030713

"Jenny Cuffe investigates claims of a crisis in the children's court service, CAFCASS, and asks if poor management and financial constraints are putting the lives of children at risk.

Car Emissions - Coming Clean?

20170711

After the US diesel scandal, does Europe also need to come clean about car emissions?

Volkswagen Group faced a 15 billion fine after the US environmental protection agency found it had fitted cars with software designed to cheat official pollution tests.

Their engines seemed clean in laboratory tests; on the road they emitted much higher levels of nitrogen oxide gas which can damage our health.

Although 8.5 million VW engines in Europe were fitted with the same so-called 'defeat devices', no EU state has yet to take any action against the manufacturer.

File on 4 tells the story of how the emissions scandal has spread to manufacturers beyond Volkswagen.

Europe's MEPs have voted for a new 'real driving emissions' test, but critics accuse European Council ministers of watering it down to please their domestic car industries. A proposal for an independent EU agency to oversee emissions tests and issue sanctions was blocked.

And the manufacturers have been given breathing space before they must meet the legal emissions standards - the new legislation lets them emit beyond the pollution limits for years to come.

Diesel cars were supposed to bring down emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2. But have those plans now gone up in smoke?

The programme asks whether this is the next emissions scandal and whether Europe has the power to make cars as clean as they say they are.

Reporter: Jane DeithProducer: Rob Cave.

Care Homes: When An Inspector Calls

20101123

20101128

A new law regulating care homes in England came into force last month.

All homes must be registered and ensure they meet certain standards of quality and safety.

The regulator - the Care Quality Commission - is promising to monitor homes and take action against those who fail to meet standards.

But unions say the numbers of inspectors has been cut.

They are warning of fewer inspections and say staff are so overstretched they could miss vital warning signs of abuse or neglect.

Worried relatives say they feel their concerns are not being heard.

Frans Abrams asks whether the elderly in care homes are being adequately protected.

Is enough being done to protect the elderly in care homes? Fran Abrams investigates.

Fran Abrams asks whether the elderly in care homes are being adequately protected.

Producer: Paul Grant.

A new law regulating care homes in England came into force last month. All homes must be registered and ensure they meet certain standards of quality and safety. The regulator - the Care Quality Commission - is promising to monitor homes and take action against those who fail to meet standards.

But unions say the numbers of inspectors has been cut. They are warning of fewer inspections and say staff are so overstretched they could miss vital warning signs of abuse or neglect. Worried relatives say they feel their concerns are not being heard.

Care Homes: When An Inspector Calls

20101128

A new law regulating care homes in England came into force last month. All homes must be registered and ensure they meet certain standards of quality and safety. The regulator - the Care Quality Commission - is promising to monitor homes and take action against those who fail to meet standards.

But unions say the numbers of inspectors has been cut. They are warning of fewer inspections and say staff are so overstretched they could miss vital warning signs of abuse or neglect. Worried relatives say they feel their concerns are not being heard.

Fran Abrams asks whether the elderly in care homes are being adequately protected.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Is enough being done to protect the elderly in care homes? Fran Abrams investigates.

Carers In Conflict

20120124

20120129

Jenny Cuffe talks to foster parents who find themselves battling with local authorities over the children in their care. They describe a Kafkaesque nightmare where doors are shut, telephone calls and emails unanswered, even court orders are ignored. Meanwhile, vulnerable children are treated as pawns as social workers move them from one place to another.

In one case investigated by File on 4, foster parents who offered to care for four siblings were denied the financial and practical support they needed from the council. Their official complaints were upheld yet key recommendations continued to be ignored and, as a consequence, the children have now been split up. After giving up their jobs to care for the children, the couple are now in debt and have to sell their home. The local MP describes the council's treatment of the family as outrageous. He says the case is extreme but not unusual and he's called for an enquiry.

In another case, a teenager with complex mental and physical needs was unlawfully removed from the foster home where he'd grown up. His sister told File on 4: "When he was in his foster mum's care he was always clean, always happy and he looked well but when I saw him he was dishevelled. It was as if someone took him away from himself. I felt his personality had gone." When his foster mother went to court to get him back, she was vilified by the council who used public funds to defend their actions to the bitter end but lost in court.

A recent report identified a shortage of foster carers in the UK but are some councils driving away the people who should be their best resource?

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

File on 4 investigates claims of bullying and abuse of power by social services.

Carers In Conflict

20120129

File on 4 investigates claims of bullying and abuse of power by social services.

Cash From The Crisis

20111025

20111030

World leaders preparing for the G20 conference are facing a threat to the global economy from the on-going Eurozone sovereign debt crisis. But as they try to avert further economic catastrophe some investors see opportunities to profit from the mayhem.

Michael Robinson reveals how on-going economic volatility and uncertainty can also present golden investment opportunities - and how, through complex trades, bets and investments, some find cash in the current crisis.

Producer: Gail Champion

Reporter: Michael Robinson

Editor: David Ross.

How investors are profiting from the Eurozone crisis. Can money be made from disaster?

World leaders preparing for the G20 conference are facing a threat to the global economy from the on-going Eurozone sovereign debt crisis.

But as they try to avert further economic catastrophe some investors see opportunities to profit from the mayhem.

How investors are profiting from the Eurozone crisis.

Can money be made from disaster?

Cash From The Crisis

20111030

Changing Tides: Can The Uk Keep Its Renewable Energy Promises?

20161018

20161023 (R4)

The world's first tidal lagoon power station in Wales, which was in the Conservative manifesto, has stalled, as the government seems to be baulking at the price. The Swansea Bay lagoon, and five more that would follow around the country, would generate as much electricity as Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. But does the government's commitment to the wave of new nuclear threaten the future of renewable energy in the UK?

Jane Deith hears about the options the government's considered to meet an EU target of providing 15% of energy from renewables by 2020. Does the answer lie in buying in renewable power from Norway, or 'credit transfers' from countries who've hit their targets? Or does the commitment need to renegotiated completely?

With growing pressure to keep a lid on bills, will renewables come second to economic interests?

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Rob Cave.

Holding back the tide: will the UK keep its renewable energy promises?

Charities - Giving And Taking

20101109

20101114

Under the Prime Minister's project for The Big Society, the coalition government wants charities to have much greater involvement in the running of public services.

At the same time, substantial cuts are expected in official regulators which check that charities are competent and honest.

Recent financial scandals have shown the vulnerability of even the most prestigious organisations to systematic fraud.

The Charity Commission admits that a quarter of charities fail to file their accounts on time, covering a combined annual income of £6 billion. The Commission also says that in future allegations of fraud may no longer be automatically investigated.

Meanwhile, other national charities are facing rebellions from lifelong local supporters over planned reorganisations designed to win huge public contracts.

Gerry Northam asks if we can be confident that charities are fit and honest enough to take responsibility from the public sector.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Can charities be trusted to run public services well and honestly? Gerry Northam reports.

The Charity Commission admits that a quarter of charities fail to file their accounts on time, covering a combined annual income of £6 billion.

The Commission also says that in future allegations of fraud may no longer be automatically investigated.

Charities - Giving And Taking

20101114

Under the Prime Minister's project for The Big Society, the coalition government wants charities to have much greater involvement in the running of public services.

At the same time, substantial cuts are expected in official regulators which check that charities are competent and honest.

Recent financial scandals have shown the vulnerability of even the most prestigious organisations to systematic fraud.

The Charity Commission admits that a quarter of charities fail to file their accounts on time, covering a combined annual income of £6 billion. The Commission also says that in future allegations of fraud may no longer be automatically investigated.

Meanwhile, other national charities are facing rebellions from lifelong local supporters over planned reorganisations designed to win huge public contracts.

Gerry Northam asks if we can be confident that charities are fit and honest enough to take responsibility from the public sector.

Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Can charities be trusted to run public services well and honestly? Gerry Northam reports.

Chemical Weapons

20140107

20140112

As a complex operation continues to destroy the remainder of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, how much will we ever know about the supply routes through which the Assad regime acquired the basic ingredients for its arsenal? Vast quantities of chemicals are traded around the world every day, so what chance do we have of controlling their use by rogue states and terrorists? In the first of a new series, Allan Urry reports from the headquarters of the OPCW - the organisation set up to stop the spread of chemical warfare and which is overseeing the removal and destruction of the Syrian weapons. He also investigates the efforts of terrorist groups including Al Qaeda and al Shabab to develop nerve agents of their own; and examines the global attempts to limit the availability of "dual use" chemicals which are essential in the manufacture of every day products from fertilisers to toothpaste but which can also be turned into powerful explosives for use in IEDs and other bombs.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Child Protection

20160614

20160619 (R4)

The recent deaths of children at the hands of family members have revealed some children's social work departments are still failing children some nine years after the death of Baby P. In some regions the reaction of the Government has been to take social workers out of the hands of councils and put them into independent trusts.

So what's been going wrong - and will the radical solution coming out of Whitehall really work? Jenny Chryss investigates.

Producer: Rob Cave.

What will it take to improve failing children's services - and is change fast enough?

Child Support Agency

20041012

20041017

Jenny Cuffe investigates the Child Support Agency, 10 years old and still failing many of Britain's most vulnerable households.

Jenny Cuffe investigates the Child Support Agency, 10 years old and still failing many of Britain's most vulnerable households. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Jenny Cuffe investigates the Child Support Agency, 10 years old and still failing many of Britain's most vulnerable households. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Childhood Cancer

20140715

20140720

Is red tape stopping the development of new drug treatments?

Every year more than 1,500 UK children are diagnosed with cancer.

For some the outlook is good but for those struck down by one of the rarer cancers, the prognosis can be a bleak one.

Two hundred and fifty children die each year from the disease.

Parents have told File on 4 there is a worrying lack of research into new drugs for childhood cancers, with youngsters sometimes offered treatments which have hardly changed in the last forty years - treatments that can have a limited chance of success and which can cause fatal, serious and life-long side-effects for those lucky enough to survive.

In the battle to get the most up-to-date treatments for children with some of the most aggressive cancers, increasing numbers of families say they are forced to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds to travel abroad to take part in pioneering drugs trials elsewhere.

Meanwhile UK researchers say they face a constant battle for funding. They also warn of a loophole in European regulations which they say stops break-through drugs that have been developed for adult cancer sufferers, being developed to benefit children.

As science takes the treatment and understanding of disease to new levels, Jane Deith asks whether enough is being done to give children a fighting chance.

The Government insists that they must receive alternative full-time education, but many do not.

Children With Me

20170627

Families of children with a severe fatigue condition say they have been accused of abuse.

File on 4 investigates claims that parents whose children suffer from a crippling illness that leaves them sick and permanently exhausted have been falsely accused of child abuse.

Parents of children with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) reveal how they have been investigated and referred for child protection measures on suspicion of a rare form of child abuse known as Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII).

FII, also sometimes known as Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy, is extremely rare and occurs when a parent or carer exaggerates or deliberately causes the symptoms of a child's illness. One charity says FII is being used inappropriately by education and health professionals. We talk to families who claim the stress caused by this accusation has made their children worse.

With doctors divided over the best way to treat children, what's the impact on families?

Reporter: Matthew HillProducer: Nicola Dowling.

Coal Comfort?

20130723

20130728

The amount of coal burned in Britain's power stations rocketed in 2012 with ministers relying on the fuel to help keep the lights on in the next few years.

But coal mining in Britain is now in deep trouble.

Two of the UK's major mining firms have collapsed and a third is in trouble following a huge underground fire in February.

The fire was at Daw Mill in Warwickshire, one of the few remaining deep mines in the UK.

Coming on the back of competition from cheap coal from abroad, the costly fire plunged mine operators UK Coal into financial crisis and has put the pensions of workers at serious risk.

As the government negotiates to try to help pick up the pieces Julian O'Halloran discovers UK Coal's problems come on top of heavy penalties imposed in recent years by safety regulators over fatal accidents underground.

Meanwhile the collapse of two key operators in Scotland has left a trail of unrestored opencast sites which local people say are blighting their areas. They blame national and local government for failing to force the mining companies to clear up their mess.

So what does the future hold for the industry, the miners and local communities. And at what cost to the taxpayer?

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Colleges In Crisis

20151013

20151018 (R4)

With millions of new apprenticeships promised, how will cash-strapped FE colleges deliver?

David Cameron has promised three million new apprenticeships by 2020. But Further Education colleges must deliver them against a background of year-on-year cuts - with the axe likely to fall again in this Autumn's spending review.

The National Audit Office has warned more than a quarter of further education colleges could be deemed financially inadequate by the end of the year. And this month MPs on the Public Accounts Committee will launch an inquiry into the financial sustainability of the sector.

But how far is the crisis also a result of poor planning and excessive borrowing by colleges themselves? A File on 4 investigation finds some institutions taking increasingly desperate measures to make ends meet.

And it asks whether the sector is being adequately policed: when a college faces financial collapse, what safety nets are in place?

Reporter: Fran Abrams Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Construction in Crisis?

20180710

20180715 (R4)

Are construction giants exploiting their suppliers to balance their books?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

In January, Britain's second biggest construction firm, Carillion, spectacularly collapsed under a £1.5 billion debt pile. Thousands of jobs were lost, pensions were put at risk, and around 30 thousand smaller subcontractors, who'd already completed work on projects, were left being owed a total of £2 billion.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called it a 'watershed' moment, and a report by MPs slammed the government contractor's 'rotten corporate culture', claiming those at the top treated suppliers with 'utter contempt'. There was also a stark warning that a similar collapse could happen 'again, and soon'.

But whilst Carillion shone a spotlight on some of the 'reckless' and 'greedy' financial practices used by those at the top of large-scale construction, and left accountants and ministers with questions to answer, has anything changed six months on?

File on 4 investigates an industry treading a financial tightrope - a world of huge turnovers but tiny profit margins, spiralling debts and late payments. Alistair Jackson speaks to subcontractors who say they're still working in 'a climate of fear', and are being pushed to the brink, financially and emotionally, by their bigger construction counterparts.

Reporter: Alistair JacksonProducer: Mick TuckerEditor: Gail Champion.

Construction in Crisis?

20180710

Are construction giants exploiting their suppliers to balance their books?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

In January, Britain's second biggest construction firm, Carillion, spectacularly collapsed under a £1.5 billion debt pile. Thousands of jobs were lost, pensions were put at risk, and around 30 thousand smaller subcontractors, who'd already completed work on projects, were left being owed a total of £2 billion.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called it a 'watershed' moment, and a report by MPs slammed the government contractor's 'rotten corporate culture', claiming those at the top treated suppliers with 'utter contempt'. There was also a stark warning that a similar collapse could happen 'again, and soon'.

But whilst Carillion shone a spotlight on some of the 'reckless' and 'greedy' financial practices used by those at the top of large-scale construction, and left accountants and ministers with questions to answer, has anything changed six months on?

File on 4 investigates an industry treading a financial tightrope - a world of huge turnovers but tiny profit margins, spiralling debts and late payments. Alistair Jackson speaks to subcontractors who say they're still working in 'a climate of fear', and are being pushed to the brink, financially and emotionally, by their bigger construction counterparts.

Reporter: Alistair JacksonProducer: Mick TuckerEditor: Gail Champion.

Continuing Healthcare: The Secret Fund

20141118

20141123 (R4)

Is demand for long term nursing about to tip NHS finances over the edge?

Under the system of "Continuing Healthcare" people with complex medical needs can claim the costs of nursing and medical help to keep them out of hospital. But the system has become mired in controversy with many people claiming they've been denied funding to which they are entitled.

Now there's a deluge of backdated claims against Clinical Commissioning Groups.

File on 4 finds the backlog is creating long delays in new assessments of patients.

And it hears claims the assessments themselves are a postcode lottery, with the chances of being deemed eligible varying wildly between GP commissioning groups.

The programme also hears evidence of NHS commissioners and councils fighting each other not to take responsibility for patients.

Patients and their families are going to the health ombudsman in their hundreds.

18 clinical commissioning groups are already going to end the year in the red, with some threatened with being put in special measures over their finances. Now they owe millions of pounds in backdated claims, plus interest.

Is this creating an incentive to squeeze spending on continuing care? GP commissioners are about to be asked to put £1.9 billion into the pot for new joined-up health and social care services. Do they have the money, or the will, to buy into joined-up care?

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Care Crisis: Can the NHS afford long-term community nursing care for the old and the sick?

Coroners Under Scrutiny

20111115

20111120

Are families getting justice in the coroner's court?

Ann Alexander investigates concerns about the conduct of inquests in England and Wales and asks why there is so much variation in behaviour of coroners and the rigour of their investigations.

Under the current system, it is up to the coroner what evidence he or she relies on, but this can leave families unhappy at the verdict and with little hope of appeal.

The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 included long awaited reforms to the coronial system.

At its centre was the role of Chief Coroner, but the coalition Government said the post was unaffordable and want it scrapped.

So are Ministers missing a chance to ensure judicial oversight, enforce national standards and increase accountability?

Under the current system, it is up to the coroner what evidence he or she relies on, but this can leave families unhappy at the verdict and with little hope of appeal. The Coroners and Justice Act 2009 included long awaited reforms to the coronial system. At its centre was the role of Chief Coroner, but the coalition Government said the post was unaffordable and want it scrapped. So are Ministers missing a chance to ensure judicial oversight, enforce national standards and increase accountability?

With plans for future use of London's Olympic stadium in disarray, Allan Urry asks whether taxpayers' billions will leave a lasting legacy from 2012.

London's successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympics placed great emphasis on the benefits it could create for Britain and its capital city.

Not only should the Games bequeath impressive new sporting facilities to the people of London, but the event and its aftermath was expected to kick-start economic development in the East End -- still one of the least prosperous parts of the country.

Has the forward planning paid off? Controversy and confusion still shrouds the future ownership and operation of London's Olympic stadium.

Despite bids from rival football clubs, the stadium remains in public ownership.

The Olympic village meanwhile has been sold to developers at a loss to taxpayers, and some critics claim a major opportunity to embed a new science and technology research centre on the Olympic park has been squandered.

With mounting pressure on Games organisers and Government to recoup the taxpayers' investment in the Olympics, many Londoners fear that the early promises of economic regeneration for the East End will fail to materialise.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Andy Denwood.

Will Britain's Olympic billions buy a lasting legacy for taxpayers?

Costing The Games

20111113

With plans for future use of London's Olympic stadium in disarray, Allan Urry asks whether taxpayers' billions will leave a lasting legacy from 2012.

London's successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympics placed great emphasis on the benefits it could create for Britain and its capital city. Not only should the Games bequeath impressive new sporting facilities to the people of London, but the event and its aftermath was expected to kick-start economic development in the East End -- still one of the least prosperous parts of the country.

Has the forward planning paid off? Controversy and confusion still shrouds the future ownership and operation of London's Olympic stadium. Despite bids from rival football clubs, the stadium remains in public ownership. The Olympic village meanwhile has been sold to developers at a loss to taxpayers, and some critics claim a major opportunity to embed a new science and technology research centre on the Olympic park has been squandered.

With mounting pressure on Games organisers and Government to recoup the taxpayers' investment in the Olympics, many Londoners fear that the early promises of economic regeneration for the East End will fail to materialise.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Andy Denwood.

Will Britain's Olympic billions buy a lasting legacy for taxpayers?

Council Asset Sales

20130618

20130623

Local authorities across the UK are facing tough decisions as they try to balance their books in the face of unprecedented funding cuts - with many opting to sell land and buildings to reduce spending and bring in much needed capital.

But, one person's white elephant is another's much loved local facility, so the choice of what goes on the market often causes great public resentment.

Jenny Chryss visits four local authorities where announcements about asset sales have caused serious questions to be asked. She finds allegations of decisions taken behind closed doors, sums that don't stack up and property that could end up being mothballed for years to come.

So are councils getting value for money for their tax payers? Or are they out of their depth when they negotiate with the private sector, especially in one of the harshest property markets for years?

And with a major shift in the way councils are audited, is there a danger that mistakes could go unnoticed and unchallenged?

Producer: Rob Cave.

Councils In Crisis

20170321

20170326 (R4)

There's a quiet revolution going on in our Town Halls. With funding slashed, Local Government is tasked with finding new ways to raise money and deliver services, or face failing to comply with its legal obligations. As councils in England are tasked with becoming more self sufficient, File on 4 examines the different approaches councils are taking in an effort to balance the books.

As some invest in commercial property others are spinning off traditional council departments into new companies with commercial divisions. The aim is to plough profits back into services.

But as the programme discovers these plans don't always work out. What happens when there is no profit? As the pressure on adult social care grows, some councils now face the twin struggles of meeting demand, with the need to turn a profit. Is this too much of a gamble in services which can mean the difference between life and death?

Allan Urry investigates the scale of the challenge as local authorities grapple with rising demand, falling income, and new ways of doing business.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Laura Harmes.

Counterfeit Drugs

20041005

20041010

There's been an explosion in counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical drugs which kill thousands in developing countries.

But are the drug companies doing enough to combat it - and why is there so little international regulation of the global market in vital medicines?

With Allan Urry.

There's been an explosion in counterfeit and substandard pharmaceutical drugs which kill thousands in developing countries. But are the drug companies doing enough to combat it - and why is there so little international regulation of the global market in vital medicines?

Court Martials

20050301

20050306

Fran Abrams investigates what happens when members of the armed forces are accused of crimes.

Many are sceptical of Britain's court martial system which dates back over 300 years.

Many are sceptical of Britain's courts martial system, which dates back over 300 years.

Fran Abrams investigates what happens when members of the armed forces are accused of crimes. Many are sceptical of Britain's courts martial system, which dates back over 300 years. [Rptd Sun 5.00pm]

Fran Abrams investigates what happens when members of the armed forces are accused of crimes. Many are sceptical of Britain's court martial system which dates back over 300 years. [Rpt of Tue 8.00pm]

Credit Rating Agencies

20120228

20120304

Their judgments send markets into freefall. It is alleged that their mistakes led to the Enron collapse and the 2008 financial crisis. They are the credit rating agencies. Who exactly are they and what exactly do they do?

Is this exploration of the complex world of the "Big Three" rating agencies, BBC Chief Economics Correspondent Hugh Pym takes listeners behind the scenes of the world economy. Through revealing interviews with insiders and former analysts at Standard and Poor's (S&P), Moody's and Fitch, along with leading investors and bankers, Hugh tells the story of the world's ongoing financial woes from a new perspective and ask if anything has really changed. S&P managing director John Chambers explains why governments listen to what his company says.

In Italy the agencies - rarely heard about until recently - have suddenly been subject to police raids and front page headlines. Italy, like many European nations, is unhappy about its recent downgrade and campaigner Elio Lannutti is on a mission to break the power of the rating agencies. But is there any truth in the idea that they're acting politically in their judgements on the Eurozone?

Real concern about the "Big Three" began following the collapse, in 2001-2003, of several major multinationals, including Parmalat, dubbed Europe's Enron. Ordinary people who lost money know only too well what it means when the rating agencies get it wrong. When mortgage-backed securities began going bad in 2007, alarm bells rang again. Why had financial products riddled with bad debt been given Triple A ratings?

So is there any way of breaking the "Big Three's" grip on power - or are they an inevitable fact of life in a global financial landscape?

What part is social media playing in the rise in violent crime in the UK?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

Knife crime in England and Wales rose by a fifth last year, with stabbings in London at their highest level for a decade. So far this year, there have been more than 30 fatal stabbings in the capital - with knife injuries amongst young people also on the rise.

What lies behind the rise in violence is complex with cuts in police numbers, use of stop and search, rise in mental health issues and a lack of youth services being cited as contributing factors.

But Britain's most senior police officer, Cressida Dick, also says that social media is also partly to blame, with sites like You Tube, Snapchat and Instagram "allowing young people to go from 'slightly angry with each other' to 'fight' very quickly"

Relatives of victims - and judges in murder trials - also claim a form of hip hop, where rappers make threats to other gangs - and keep scores of killings - is helping fuel the bloodshed. It's called Drill.

When announcing a new strategy to tackle serious violence, the former Home Secretary Amber Rudd asked musicians to have a "positive influence" on young people, and to move away from lyrics which glamorise violence.

File on Four investigates this world of violence playing out online - and on our streets.

What part is social media playing in the rise in violent crime in the UK?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

Knife crime in England and Wales rose by a fifth last year, with stabbings in London at their highest level for a decade. So far this year, there have been more than 30 fatal stabbings in the capital - with knife injuries amongst young people also on the rise.

What lies behind the rise in violence is complex with cuts in police numbers, use of stop and search, rise in mental health issues and a lack of youth services being cited as contributing factors.

But Britain's most senior police officer, Cressida Dick, also says that social media is also partly to blame, with sites like You Tube, Snapchat and Instagram "allowing young people to go from 'slightly angry with each other' to 'fight' very quickly"

Relatives of victims - and judges in murder trials - also claim a form of hip hop, where rappers make threats to other gangs - and keep scores of killings - is helping fuel the bloodshed. It's called Drill.

When announcing a new strategy to tackle serious violence, the former Home Secretary Amber Rudd asked musicians to have a "positive influence" on young people, and to move away from lyrics which glamorise violence.

File on Four investigates this world of violence playing out online - and on our streets.

The urban gangs using children to flood rural Britain with drugs and violence.

Drug dealers from big cities are exploiting thousands of teenagers to traffic Class A drugs to smaller rural towns in what's known as County Lines.

Children - some as young as 9 -are being used as runners to move drugs and cash from cities like London and Manchester hundreds of miles away to other areas of the UK.

It's a massive problem which until recently was being ignored.

File on 4 hears from some of the exploited young people who spent their teens travelling around the UK for months at a time living in drugs dens selling heroin and crack cocaine.

They do this by taking over the homes of vulnerable people - drug users or the elderly - to sell drugs from and then refuse to leave -a practice called 'cuckooing' which can have tragic consequences.

These trafficked children often find themselves trapped by the gangs unable to escape because of the threat of violence or in order to pay back debts.

Are the authorities are doing enough to protect children from being exploited in this way? Or are they being let down by being viewed as criminals themselves rather than the victims of organised crime?

Reporter: Simon CoxProducer: Emma FordeEditor: Gail Champion.

Cut-price Care

20140204

20140209

Ministers have promised a new focus on home care for the elderly and disabled amid concern that 15-minute calls and a low-paid, underskilled workforce are leaving vulnerable people at risk.

From this Spring, inspectors will ask how councils' commissioning practices are affecting the daily lives of those they care for. But with authorities under pressure simultaneously to cut costs, will quality continue to suffer?

Fears have been mounting about whether the basic needs of vulnerable people are being met. The government's human rights watchdog has been pressing the issue, along with tax officials who say many companies are breaching minimum wage legislation.

This week File on 4 reports on the results of its own survey of local authorities in England. Have councils increased spending to keep pace with inflation in the past few years, or have they actually driven down costs? And are they providing even the most basic level of resources that social service chiefs say are needed to keep those in their care safe and well?

The criminal exploitation of the internet poses one of the biggest threats to UK national security.

As organised crime gangs and terrorists use it to communicate and plan their activities, the police and security agencies are turning to hacking to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence.

In the first of a new series, File on 4 looks at the covert techniques being used to get beyond the firewall of a suspect's PC.

But are the tactics legal? One leading expert says the rules governing interception are inconsistent and on occasions, misinterpreted by the police.

Reporter Stephen Grey also examines the way British companies are helping to proliferate this hi-tech snooping to countries with questionable human rights and which use it to monitor political opponents and dissidents.

And, with the Ministry of Defence developing its defences against sophisticated international attacks how vulnerable is the UK to "cyber warfare".

Why did a Chinese state telecommunications company briefly 'hijack' most of the world's internet traffic one day last year?

Producer: David Lewis

Reporter: Stephen Grey.

Cyber Spies: computer hacking and the state.

: computer hacking and the state.

The criminal exploitation of the internet poses one of the biggest threats to UK national security. As organised crime gangs and terrorists use it to communicate and plan their activities, the police and security agencies are turning to hacking to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence.

In the first of a new series, File on 4 looks at the covert techniques being used to get beyond the firewall of a suspect's PC. But are the tactics legal? One leading expert says the rules governing interception are inconsistent and on occasions, misinterpreted by the police.

And, with the Ministry of Defence developing its defences against sophisticated international attacks how vulnerable is the UK to "cyber warfare". Why did a Chinese state telecommunications company briefly 'hijack' most of the world's internet traffic one day last year?

Cyber Spies

20110925

: computer hacking and the state.

Danger At Work

20110308

20110313

Following the recent first conviction and hefty fine under new Corporate Manslaughter legislation, the UK's health and safety regime has been hailed a success. Falling death and accident rates appear to confirm an improving trend.

But the families of some of those seriously injured and killed in workplace accidents say too many employers are still gettings off too lightly even when they've been found responsible for serious breaches of health and safety legislation.

As the government proposes lighter regulation of workplaces and the Health and Safety Executive faces deep cuts, Morland Sanders asks whether protection for employees will be put at risk.

After the first UK corporate manslaughter conviction, File on 4 examines safety at work.

Following the recent first conviction and hefty fine under new Corporate Manslaughter legislation, the UK's health and safety regime has been hailed a success.

Falling death and accident rates appear to confirm an improving trend.

Danger At Work

20110313

Following the recent first conviction and hefty fine under new Corporate Manslaughter legislation, the UK's health and safety regime has been hailed a success. Falling death and accident rates appear to confirm an improving trend.

But the families of some of those seriously injured and killed in workplace accidents say too many employers are still gettings off too lightly even when they've been found responsible for serious breaches of health and safety legislation.

As the government proposes lighter regulation of workplaces and the Health and Safety Executive faces deep cuts, Morland Sanders asks whether protection for employees will be put at risk.

After the first UK corporate manslaughter conviction, File on 4 examines safety at work.

Deadly Drugs

20131029

20131103

What's behind the rise in deaths among those who have taken the drug ecstasy?

What's behind the recent death of a clubgoer in Manchester who's believed to have taken a bad dose of the drug ecstasy? He's one of 12 in the area in the last year who've died after using illegal stimulants with toxic new additives, prompting the Government's Chief Medical Officer to issue a formal alert. Police are concerned organised crime is hiring backstreet chemists to cook up their own toxic amphetamines. Allan Urry investigates.

Producer: Carl Johnston.

Deadly Hospitals?

20140225

20140302

Each year the number of deaths in every hospital in England is recorded and compared with national averages for the range of patients and conditions treated. The results are published by a company called Dr Foster in The Hospital Guide.

The Guide has a solid reputation. Its findings are studied and used by leaders of the NHS. Dr Foster's statistical expert says that high mortality statistics should act as a 'smoke alarm' raising investigation of standards at a hospital. The Care Quality Commission praises Dr Foster's "powerful analysis of hospital trusts" and the Health Secretary says: "We expect all hospitals to examine this data carefully and take action wherever services need to improve".

But some leading statisticians question the reliability of mortality statistics as an indication of clinical quality. And they believe that many pockets of poor practice go undetected in hospitals with good mortality scores.

Critics also see the publication of such data as an invitation to the press to distort the available evidence by calculating numbers of 'needless deaths' within the NHS. Such calculations have in fact been produced and then given widespread publicity. The NHS Medical Director calls them "clinically meaningless and academically reckless". But they continue to make the front pages.

Gerry Northam reports from hospitals which have "worryingly high" mortality statistics according to Dr Foster and asks how much this really shows about their quality of care.

Producer : Ian Muir-Cochrane

Editor : David Ross.

But some leading statisticians question the reliability of mortality statistics as an indication of clinical quality. They argue that publication in a Guide gives NHS managers the incentive to game the system by adjusting the collection of mortality data to lower their scores in the Guide. And they believe that many pockets of poor practice go undetected in hospitals with good mortality scores.

Default By Design?

20140121

20140126

Last month a report by a government advisor, Lawrence Tomlinson, accused The Royal Bank of Scotland of forcing some viable businesses into insolvency. The Bank has denied Tomlinson's claims and has asked a leading law firm to carry out an independent investigation. With their findings due to be published shortly, File on 4 assesses the evidence.

Jane Deith speaks to families who claim their companies were unfairly forced to the wall and their lives ruined as a result of the actions of the Bank's Global Restructuring Group.

Billed as the equivalent of an intensive care unit designed to help nurse distressed businesses back to health, did the Global Restructuring Group kill some of them off instead? And was RBS able to profit as a result?

With a rising tide of complaints against the taxpayer-owned bank, the Financial Conduct Authority is beginning its own investigation.

So, was RBS being predatory or prudent?

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Last month a report by a government advisor, Lawrence Tomlinson, accused The Royal Bank of Scotland of forcing some viable businesses into insolvency. The Bank has denied Tomlinson's claims and has asked a leading firm of accountants to carry out an independent investigation. With their findings due to be published shortly, File on 4 assesses the evidence.

Degrees Of Deception

20180116

How thousands of people in the UK have obtained fake and worthless degrees.

A complex network of online universities sells degrees, doctorates and professional qualifications - for a price. Some of the buyers have gone on to trade on these credentials, including them on their CVs and gaining jobs in public life.

Others, after making an initial purchase, were blackmailed by the sellers, who threatened to expose them unless they paid out huge additional sums of money.

Despite criminal investigations in numerous countries, why is there still a thriving trade in dubious qualifications and are institutions and companies taking the issue seriously enough?

It's estimated there are around 620,000 people in England with dementia. Prime minister David Cameron says fighting the disease is a personal priority and doctors in England have been encouraged to proactively identify people with early stage dementia.

The PM says that an early diagnosis allows families to prepare for the care of a relative, but others argue there's no treatment for such a diagnosis and no robust evidence to justify a process that might lead to harm. Deborah Cohen hears from doctors who are concerned the drive to raise diagnosis rates is leading to people being misdiagnosed.

The Government has also pledged millions of pounds to help make England "the best place in the world to undertake research into dementia and other neuro-degenerative diseases". Scientists leading the research say they are making progress to find tests which could identify people at risk from the disease and develop a cure. But other researchers say money is being wasted because current directions in drug development are following the same path as those of the past which have ended in failure.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Has a drive to increase the diagnosis of dementia and find a cure been effective?

Diabetes

20120226

New NHS research has revealed the shocking toll of preventable deaths caused by just one medical condition. Diabetes - in which the body fails to control blood sugar levels safely - is causing 24,000 needless deaths a year in England alone.

It's not just the old and middle-aged who are at risk. Young women with diabetes are 6 to 9 times more likely to die than their age group overall. And many more young people who don't die will develop life threatening diseases later due to failure to manage their blood sugar.

Badly controlled diabetes can lead to kidney disease, heart conditions, or blindness. It's also the cause of 5,000 amputations a year, mainly of legs or feet. With around 3 million diagnosed sufferers known to the health service, diabetes is said to be costing the NHS £9 billion a year, about a tenth of the total health budget.

Julian O'Halloran reveals why, despite Government pledges, it's so difficult to get to grips with the disease. And, with the incidence of diabetes rocketing, he asks whether the NHS can cope.

Producer - Gail Champion.

Despite pledges to tackle diabetes, why do 24,000 people die needlessly each year?

Dirty Money Uk

20151006

20151011 (R4)

What does the theft of a billion dollars from Europe's poorest country have to do with a run-down housing estate in Edinburgh? Moldova was robbed of 12% of its GDP by the bafflingly complex financial scam uncovered earlier this year. It involved a web of companies in the ex-Soviet country, with the money thought to have ended up in Russia via Latvian banks.

But the trail also goes via a number of UK-registered companies, including one based in the district of north Edinburgh made famous by "Trainspotting", the novel about heroin addicts. It's not the only example of Eastern European fraudsters using the UK to launder their dirty money in this way. So why is it allowed to happen? Why is it so easy to set up an opaque shell company in the UK? And what is the role of so-called company formation agents? Tim Whewell investigates

Reporter: Tim Whewell Producer: Simon Maybin.

The role of British companies in a billion-dollar Moldovan bank scam.

Dirty Secrets

20141111

20141116 (R4)

The UK generates nearly 300 million tonnes of waste every year. That's rich pickings for criminals who illegally dump what we don't want, damaging the environment and threatening our health. The black market in rubbish is said to be worth a billion pounds. With such huge sums at stake there's concern that organised crime is increasing its grip on the sector. Allan Urry examines the efforts of Britain's Environment Agencies to try to hold the line. But it's tough going at a time when cuts have led to a reduction in staffing.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Carl Johnston.

The UK generates nearly 300 million tonnes of waste every year. That's rich pickings for criminals who illegally dump what we don't want, damaging the environment and threatening our health. The black market in rubbish is said to be worth a billion pounds. With such huge sums at stake there's concern that organised crime is increasing its grip on the sector. Allan Urry examines the efforts of Britain's Environment Agencies to try to hold the line. But it's tough going at a time when cuts have lead to a reduction in staffing.

Disclosing The Truth

Disclosing The Truth

20180227

How are disclosure of evidence failures affecting justice in the magistrates' courts?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

The Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have been accused of failing to disclose important information in several recent high profile sexual assault cases.

But Allan Urry asks if the current disquiet about disclosure should also extend to the Magistrates' Courts where almost all criminal cases start off. Some defence lawyers say evidence that could be helpful to their clients' cases is being with-held and are they're concerned that justice isn't always being served.

Reporter: Allan UrryProducer: Alys HarteEditor: Gail Champion.

Disposing Of Clinical Waste

20031118

20031123

Allan Urry investigates the system for disposing of the dangerous clinical waste produced by Britain's hospitals.

Could illegal and unsafe practices pose a danger to public health?

Doctors In Charge

20110301

20110306

Success of the Government's proposed NHS reforms rests on England's family doctors.

GPs will be responsible for commissioning treatment for their patients.

But how much do we know about the effectiveness and value for money offered by doctors in General Practice? Gerry Northam reports.

Family doctors are key to Government health reforms, but how efficient are they?

Success of the Government's proposed NHS reforms rests on England's family doctors. GPs will be responsible for commissioning treatment for their patients. But how much do we know about the effectiveness and value for money offered by doctors in General Practice? Gerry Northam reports.

Success of the Government's proposed NHS reforms in England rests on family doctors. GPs will be responsible for commissioning treatment for their patients, and managing the £80 billion NHS budget. But how much do we know about the effectiveness and value for money offered by doctors in General Practice? Gerry Northam reports.

Doctors In Charge

20110306

Family doctors are key to Government health reforms, but how efficient are they?

Drug Danger Distraction?

20100126

20100131

Investigating concerns about the way a bestselling antipsychotic drug was marketed.

A British drug company is being sued by more than 15,000 people in the United States who claim its bestselling antipsychotic drug caused severe weight gain, diabetes and other serious medical conditions. Ann Alexander investigates concerns about the way it was marketed and asks how much the public should be told about the drugs they take.

A British drug company is being sued by more than 15,000 people in the United States who claim its bestselling antipsychotic drug caused severe weight gain, diabetes and other serious medical conditions.

Ann Alexander investigates concerns about the way it was marketed and asks how much the public should be told about the drugs they take.

Dying On The Streets

Dying On The Streets

20180213

The homeless being denied end of life care.

File on 4 hears the stories of the terminally ill left to die in hostels and on the street.

An estimated 4751 people will sleep rough tonight in England. Many are seriously, even terminally ill.

If you're living on the streets, who will care for you when the end comes?

File on 4 hears from homeless people living with life threatening illness, who can't find a regular bed for the night, let alone a place where their medical needs can be met.

A bed in a nursing home or hospice is usually not available to them. Hostels are left to do their best for the dying. But they say they aren't trained or equipped to give people a dignified death.

We speak to those battling to get homeless people basic medical care. And hear how when services fail, people are left to die on the street.

Reporter: Jane DeithProducer: Emma FordeEditor: Gail Champion.

Why does life on the street also mean death on the street for some rough sleepers?

Ebola

20141021

20141026 (R4)

Simon Cox investigates why it took so long for the world to wake up to the threat of ebola

Ebola is now regarded as an international threat to peace and security, according to the World Health Organisation. Yet, when the WHO was first warned of an unprecedented outbreak, the organisation said it was "still relatively small."

Now the UK has asked for volunteers to travel to West Africa to try to bring Ebola under control. Thousands of American troops are also flying out to the region. But could all this have been avoided? Simon Cox asks why it took so long for the world to wake up to the threat posed by Ebola? He also investigates the treatments that are now, belatedly, being developed - treatments that have existed for decades. Vaccines and other drugs are being rushed into production at an unprecedented pace, by-passing the usual safety controls. However, all predictions are that many more people will die before the disease is brought under control. Even then, will it become endemic?

Reporter: Simon Cox

Producer: John Murphy.

is now regarded as an international threat to peace and security, according to the World Health Organisation. Yet, when the WHO was first warned of an unprecedented outbreak, the organisation said it was "still relatively small."

Egypt's Missing Millions

20110315

20110320

File On 4.

Banks and fraud squads across the world are beginning the task of tracing a vast fortune stolen from the Egyptian people by members of the Mubarak regime.

Some estimates have suggested the missing money could run into many billions of pounds.

Ministers, businessmen and members of the president's family have deposited vast sums in Swiss bank accounts and bought luxury properties in London.

Where did all this wealth come from? How was the Egyptian government able to continue abusing its power for three decades? And could the regime's business partners in multinational corporations really have been blind to what was happening?

Fran Abrams travels to Egypt to investigate and to assess the chances of the money being recovered.

File On 4. Banks and fraud squads across the world are beginning the task of tracing a vast fortune stolen from the Egyptian people by members of the Mubarak regime. Some estimates have suggested the missing money could run into many billions of pounds.

Ministers, businessmen and members of the president's family have deposited vast sums in Swiss bank accounts and bought luxury properties in London. Where did all this wealth come from? How was the Egyptian government able to continue abusing its power for three decades? And could the regime's business partners in multinational corporations really have been blind to what was happening?

Egypt's Missing Millions

20110320

File On 4. Banks and fraud squads across the world are beginning the task of tracing a vast fortune stolen from the Egyptian people by members of the Mubarak regime. Some estimates have suggested the missing money could run into many billions of pounds.

Ministers, businessmen and members of the president's family have deposited vast sums in Swiss bank accounts and bought luxury properties in London. Where did all this wealth come from? How was the Egyptian government able to continue abusing its power for three decades? And could the regime's business partners in multinational corporations really have been blind to what was happening?

Fran Abrams travels to Egypt to investigate and to assess the chances of the money being recovered.

But in January this year proceedings against two key figures in the case collapsed, leaving dozens of families asking if they will ever get justice.

While relatives demand a public inquiry into what happened in the six Welsh care homes at the centre of the case, 12.5 metric tonnes of unpublished evidence lie in a Pontypool warehouse.

Experts say prosecutors too often face insurmountable difficulties in bringing people accused of neglecting the vulnerable to justice. Several high-profile figures are now calling for a change in the law: one barrister and academic tells File on 4 current legislation gives greater protection against cruelty to animals than against people.

With other major scandals such as those at Winterbourne View and Mid-Staffordshire still fresh in the public mind, Fran Abrams asks if the justice system is fit for purpose when it comes to dealing with abuse and neglect.

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Elderly Patients In Hospital - Who Cares?

20171010

Who cares? Are elderly patients being left to suffer and die from neglect in hospital?

How well do NHS hospitals look after their elderly patients? Allan Urry investigates concerns about a lack of basic care. Is it proving fatal for some? Why are bedsores, repeated falls, malnutrition and dehydration still featuring among the complaints of families who've lost loved ones? The programme also assesses how well the NHS responds when mistakes are made.

Reporter: Allan UrryProducer: Nicola Dowling.

Election Fraud

20140311

20140316

With local authority elections due in May, Allan Urry investigates claims of organised vote rigging.

Earlier this year, the Electoral Commission identified 16 areas in England with wards that are at particular risk of electoral fraud.

File on 4 visits some of those towns and cities and hears first hand evidence of intimidation and the widespread abuse of postal votes - including allegations that some people are being pressured into handing over their vote to party activists.

A candidate who successfully took a court case against his opponent after narrowly losing an election, says some campaigners have lost sight of what is right and wrong.

And a judge who sits in election fraud cases attacks the system as "shambolic" and "wide open to abuse".

So is our voting system too vulnerable to fraud? Are the authorities doing all they can to root out corruptions? And is it time to end postal voting on demand?

Producers: Emma Forde and Sally Chesworth.

File on 4 visits some of those towns and cities and hears first hand evidence of intimidation and the widespread abuse of postal votes.

One MP tells the programme that many of his constituents have complained of being pressured into handing over their vote to party activists.

And a high court judge attacks the system as "shambolic" and "wide open to abuse".

Electricity Prices: A Shock To The System?

20131001

20131006

What will the government's plan to produce more low-carbon energy do to our fuel bills?

The Government wants more wind power and nuclear energy to supply our electricity, but how well is it delivering that plan? In Scotland where conditions for renewable sources are good, there's been a rush to cash in on generous subsidies for wind farms. But the infrastructure can't cope so companies are also being paid handsomely to dump the energy they produce. And, deals which include subsidies are being concluded behind closed doors between Government officials and the nuclear industry for a new generation of power stations. What's this going to add to our fuel bills? Allan Urry investigates.

Producer: Rob Cave.

Energy Prices

20111009

Household gas and electricity bills are set to soar, leaving millions at risk of 'fuel poverty' and vulnerable to cold as winter approaches.

The government's hopes for recovery in UK manufacturing industry are also threatened in key sectors by rocketing energy prices.

Some small and medium-sized businesses have already been pushed into liquidation and there are fears that others will follow.

Politically, attention is now focusing on the behaviour of the so-called Big Six energy companies which supply 99% of the gas and electricity used in British homes.

The regulator OFGEM accuses them of 'complex and unfair pricing policies'.

It wants to increase competition by making it simpler for customers to decide to switch suppliers.

It finds that prices go up like a rocket but fall like a feather.

And it wants greater disclosure of corporate accounting systems, to check for excessive profits.

Gerry Northam examines claims from some industry insiders that the Big Six are behaving as the banks did before the credit crunch - threatening economic recovery while believing they are too big to fail.

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

Are households and businesses being overcharged for gas and electricity?

European Funding

20120717

20120722

Why are areas of Britain losing millions of pounds of regeneration money from Europe?

The EU has allocated millions of pounds in grants to help our towns and cities regenerate. So why are some complaining they can't get their hands on the cash? European rules mean Britain has to put up an equal amount of money. But, as Allan Urry reveals, cuts at Westminster and in town halls around the country mean that some projects have either stalled or been abandoned because no "matched funding" is available. Critics of the Government say up to a billion pounds of regeneration money will end up in the Treasury's coffers or being returned to Brussels. Yet, it supposed to be supporting economic development in the English regions which the Government has argued will drive growth. That's what's happened in Germany and other EU countries. Have they made better use of funds from Brussels to help narrow the gap between their rich and poor regions? Now, as Europe struggles with austerity, does the European Commission need to re-think its system for allocating cash, and should the Coalition Government in Britain do more to deliver growth?

Producer: Samantha Fenwick.

European Funding: Missing A Match

20120717

20120722

Europe's Missing Millions

20101130

20101205

As European member states make spending cuts should more be done to prevent mismanagement of subsidies at EU level? Angus Stickler tracks how money has gone astray across the 27 member states and asks why funding continues in regions with proven records of mismanagement and fraud.

Across the EU expensive projects lie unused and unfit for purpose, despite receiving funding of millions of Euros.

The EU has created its own anti-fraud agency, OLAF, to stop these abuses, but are critics right when they claim it's underfunded and ineffective?

File on 4/Bureau of Investigative Journalism co-production.

Europe's Missing Millions

20101205

Over the last seven years, the European Union has paid out billions of Euros in grants designed to revitalise Europe's poorest regions.

But an investigation for File on 4 has revealed the extent to which these payments are open to widespread fraud, abuse and mismanagement.

Angus Stickler tracks how money has gone astray across the 27 member states and asks why funding continues in regions with proven records of corruption and fraud. Throughout the EU there is evidence that money has been wasted or even stolen. In Southern Italy, money has gone to Mafia-controlled construction companies and bogus energy projects. Across the EU expensive projects lie unused and unfit for purpose, despite receiving funding of millions of Euros.

The EU has created its own anti-fraud agency, OLAF, to stop these abuses, but are critics right when they claim it's underfunded and ineffective?

The UK is the largest bilateral donor to Rwanda, giving around £83m a year. President Paul Kagame is praised by the British government for bringing stability and economic growth to a country torn apart by the genocide in 1994. But recently it was revealed that two opponents of the Rwandan regime living in London had been warned by police they were in danger of being assassinated by their own government. Other Rwandans living in the UK have been threatened too. The Rwandan High Commission say the allegations are baseless.

Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe also receives substantial amounts of British aid but via charities and other non-governmental organisations. However an exile involved in the ex-patriot community and who had attended Movement for Democratic Change meetings has been revealed as a former torturer. Far from rejecting his past, its alleged he has until recently been on the pay-roll of the notorious Central Intelligence Organisation - leaving the Zimbabwe community scared and in disarray.

Jenny Cuffe asks whether in the light of such claims the British government should question its aid policy.

Why are some Rwandans in the UK living in fear of their government? Jenny Cuffe reports.

The UK is the largest bilateral donor to Rwanda, giving around £83m a year.

President Paul Kagame is praised by the British government for bringing stability and economic growth to a country torn apart by the genocide in 1994.

But recently it was revealed that two opponents of the Rwandan regime living in London had been warned by police they were in danger of being assassinated by their own government.

Other Rwandans living in the UK have been threatened too.

The Rwandan High Commission say the allegations are baseless.

Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe also receives substantial amounts of British aid but via charities and other non-governmental organisations.

However an exile involved in the ex-patriot community and who had attended Movement for Democratic Change meetings has been revealed as a former torturer.

Far from rejecting his past, its alleged he has until recently been on the pay-roll of the notorious Central Intelligence Organisation - leaving the Zimbabwe community scared and in disarray.

Exiles In Fear

20110807

Why are some Rwandans in the UK living in fear of their government? Jenny Cuffe reports.

Manveen Rana uncovers hate speech, sectarianism and even support for Jihad in some of Britain's Urdu language newspapers, radio stations and TV channels.

While we are often told the internet and social media have accelerated the fermentation of extremist ideas, File on 4 reveals how widely-available 'old media' is also disseminating sectarian and anti-Semitic messages, as well as support for Pakistani militant groups, through newspapers and TV channels accessible in Muslim communities across the UK.

A common theme is content about the Ahmadiyyah community, who are considered by some Muslims to be heretics. A persecuted community in Pakistan, such violence came to the UK in 2016 when shop keeper Asad Shah was fatally stabbed by a man accusing him of blasphemy. Despite this shocking sectarian murder, British Urdu media continues to publish insulting material targeting the Ahmadiyyah community - included campaigns calling on readers to boycott Ahmadi-made goods.

But at what point do these media outlets cross the line from bad taste to criminal behaviour? And are media regulators doing enough to prevent and punish the offenders?

While we are often told the internet and social media have accelerated the fermentation of extremist ideas, File on 4 reveals how widely-available 'old media' is also disseminating sectarian, anti-Semitic and even violent messages through newspapers and TV channels accessible in Muslim communities across the UK.

But at what point do these media outlets cross the line from bad taste to criminal behaviour? And are media regulators doing enough to prevent and punish the offenders?

Producers: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sajid IqbalEditor: Gail Champion.

Failed By Forensics?

20180612

20180617 (R4)

Are failings in forensic science leading to more miscarriages of justice?

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

File on 4 investigates mounting concern about forensic science in England and Wales - hearing the cases of two men who almost went to prison for rape because the police failed to properly investigate crucial evidence on mobile phones.

Forensic science is increasingly important both in finding criminals and successfully prosecuting them. It's used for everything from investigating fires like Grenfell to huge terrorist cases. And it covers checking phone records, CCTV, DNA and fingerprinting. It's painstaking, time-consuming work but it can often turn up vital evidence.

The programme hears that a criminal investigation is underway into one company providing forensic evidence, another has gone bust and a third has had to be financially bailed out. Meanwhile some police forces carry out their own forensic work but incredibly some do so, without the official accreditation that forensic companies are expected to obtain. And the regulator says she can't do anything about it as the Government won't give her the powers she needs.

Presenter: Melanie AbbottProducer: Anna MeiselEditor: Andrew Smith.

Fair Game

20160531

20160605 (R4)

Should English football clubs take a closer look at who they turn to for investment?

English football clubs enjoy a high profile around the world, leading to many companies vying to do business with them. But have some football clubs entered into financial deals with companies with questionable backgrounds?

File on 4 explores whether clubs are vulnerable to companies and individuals who use the reputation of English football to lend credibility to their activities. But what due diligence do clubs undertake when securing such deals? Allan Urry looks at the relationship between soccer and sponsorship. He hears from some of the victims who've lost money, because they believed those who do business with the biggest names in football, could be trusted.

Reporter - Allan Urry

Producer - Emma Forde.

Faith, Hope And... Tax Avoidance

20130709

20130714

While the G8 summit of world leaders has agreed a global deal to ensure big business pays its dues, concerns about tax avoidance go wider.

A group of MPs has just examined the case of the Cup Trust, a charity which tried to claim £46 million in tax relief but spent just £55,000 on good works. The Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Margaret Hodge, concluded the Trust's purpose "was to avoid tax".

And she said this wasn't an isolated case. The Committee heard that HMRC investigates around 300 charities a year over concerns about tax fraud.

In this week's File on 4 Fran Abrams examines the blurred lines around charities and tax.

What happens when genuine charities find 'donations' are designed so the donors can claim Gift Aid payments from the tax man? And how easy is it to register a charity whose main aim is actually tax avoidance?

Is the 160 year-old Charity Commission up to the job of policing 21st Century charities?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

And she said this wasn't an isolated case. The Committee heard that HMRC investigates 300 similar schemes a year.

Falling Short - Fake News and Financial Markets

20180626

Is financial fake news damaging business? Geoff White reports.

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

If fake news is poisoning public debate, then what is it doing to the financial markets?

Short-sellers - investors who bet on a company's shares falling, not rising- have a mixed reputation. For some they play a vital role, exposing weak companies - and can make big profits as a result. But others accuse them of using fake information to deliberately damage otherwise healthy businesses.

File on 4 looks into the hidden world of the short sellers, the researchers who give them the information to make their bets and the companies who fall victim to what they publish. Are the shorters overstepping the stock market's rules on fairness and transparency?

Reporter: Geoff WhiteProducer: Rob CaveEditor: Gail Champion.

Falling Short - Fake News And Financial Markets

20180626

20180701 (R4)

Is financial fake news damaging business? Geoff White reports.

Award-winning current affairs documentary series

If fake news is poisoning public debate, then what is it doing to the financial markets?

Short-sellers - investors who bet on a company's shares falling, not rising- have a mixed reputation. For some they play a vital role, exposing weak companies - and can make big profits as a result. But others accuse them of using fake information to deliberately damage otherwise healthy businesses.

File on 4 looks into the hidden world of the short sellers, the researchers who give them the information to make their bets and the companies who fall victim to what they publish. Are the shorters overstepping the stock market's rules on fairness and transparency?

Reporter: Geoff WhiteProducer: Rob CaveEditor: Gail Champion.

Family Annihilation

20120311

In the last two months, four fathers have killed their partners, children and themselves. File on 4 investigates what drives these men to take such drastic action.

The programme talks to relatives, expert forensic psychiatrists and academics to try to find out why they became so-called 'family annihilators'.

It looks at new research into such cases which points to a link to unemployment rates and the levels of gun ownership. It will also ask whether authorities like the health service and police could do more to watch for signs that men are a risk to their families and asks whether new gun licence measures are working.

Presenter: Jane Deith

Producer: Paul Grant.

What drives fathers to kill their families and themselves? Jane Deith investigates.

Flooding: Best Laid Plans?

20140211

20140216

Flights grounded. Trains cancelled. Roads flooded. It's becoming a familiar story every winter as Britain's transport systems are battered by the weather. While rainfall this winter has been unusually high, has some of the disruption that we've seen been caused by a lack of strategic planning and routine maintenance? Should a flooded river have been able to knock out power supplies at Gatwick, catching airport authorities by surprise? Were the drainage systems adequate on some of the railway embankments that collapsed, leaving passengers stranded? Allan Urry investigates why our infrastructure is struggling to cope with the storms and asks whether bad planning has made a bad situation worse?

Producer: Rob Cave.

Flights grounded. Trains cancelled. Roads flooded. It's becoming a familiar story every winter as Britain's transport systems are battered by the weather. Allan Urry investigates why our infrastructure is struggling to cope with the storms. While rainfall has been unusually high, was some of the disruption caused by a lack of strategic planning and routine maintenance? Should a flooded river have been able to knock out power supplies at Gatwick, catching airport authorities by surprise? Were the drainage systems adequate on some of the railway embankments that collapsed, leaving passengers stranded? And we revisit the Somerset Levels a year after locals were promised their rivers would be dredged to help prevent further flooding. How much did the failure to deliver on those pledges make a bad situation worse?

Food Fraud

20140128

20140202

A year after the horsemeat scandal there are calls for a new police force to fight food fraud amid concerns that organised crime is increasingly targeting the sector because there are huge profits to be made at the expense of the consumer.

Prof Chris Elliott, who was commissioned by the government to investigate the UK's most serious food scandal in recent years, says criminals are committing more food fraud because there's little risk of detection or serious penalties if they're caught.

Gerry Northam investigates the extent of food fraud across the UK and reports from Brussels on whether the EU has learned enough lessons from last year's scandal.

Producer: Carl Johnston.

Foundation Hospitals: An Acute Crisis?

20101019

20101024

The drive to make acute hospitals more prudent and independent through foundation trust status was meant to usher in a new era of prudent spending for the whole of the NHS.

But now the process is faltering, as a series of foundation trusts hit grave financial, managerial or care quality problems.

And though the NHS was meant to be ring-fenced from the deep cuts now hitting the rest of the public sector, a number foundation hospital trusts are facing bed closures and serious job losses.

In some cases emergency measures have been adopted to turn failing trusts around by bringing in highly paid crisis managers.

But these have alienated staff and unions and seemingly pushed some hospitals further into the red.

So where does this leave the Government's plans for all hospitals to be run by foundation trusts? Julian O'Halloran reports.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Why should we want more foundation hospitals when so many are in financial trouble?

In some cases emergency measures have been adopted to turn failing trusts around by bringing in highly paid crisis managers. But these have alienated staff and unions and seemingly pushed some hospitals further into the red.

Foundation Hospitals: An Acute Crisis?

20101024

The drive to make acute hospitals more prudent and independent through foundation trust status was meant to usher in a new era of prudent spending for the whole of the NHS.

But now the process is faltering, as a series of foundation trusts hit grave financial, managerial or care quality problems.

And though the NHS was meant to be ring-fenced from the deep cuts now hitting the rest of the public sector, a number foundation hospital trusts are facing bed closures and serious job losses.

In some cases emergency measures have been adopted to turn failing trusts around by bringing in highly paid crisis managers. But these have alienated staff and unions and seemingly pushed some hospitals further into the red.

So where does this leave the Government's plans for all hospitals to be run by foundation trusts? Julian O'Halloran reports.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Why should we want more foundation hospitals when so many are in financial trouble?

Fraud: The Thin Blue Line

20141007

20141012 (R4)

The nature of crime is changing, with much of it now happening online, sparking growing concern that official figures fail to account for potentially millions of fraud offences. Experts say frauds involving plastic debit and credit cards are among the crimes left out of the data. So just how reliable - and useful - are the statistics?

At the same time, police economic crime units, which investigate fraud, have become increasingly stretched, partly as a result of government budget cuts. BBC Home Affairs correspondent, Danny Shaw, asks whether law enforcement has kept pace with the changing face of fraud and if there are enough resources to tackle financial crime and bring fraudsters to justice.

Painkillers in sport - the legal doping risking the long-term health of athletes.

Painkillers in sport: a form of legal doping or an excessive reliance on medication that puts the long-term health of athletes in jeopardy?

With evidence of widespread use of over the counter anti-inflammatories to support performance or recovery at amateur level, File on 4 looks asks if there is enough regulation of painkilling drugs in sport across the ranks.

About half of players competing at the past three World Cups routinely took non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, according to research carried out by FIFA's former chief medical officer, Prof Jiri Dvorak.

For him, this clearly constitutes the abuse of drugs in football, one which risks player's health and could "potentially" have life-threatening implications.

But is the sports community taking these warnings seriously enough? Professor Dvorak first warned about the long-term implications of players misusing painkillers in 2012 - has anything changed?

Industry insiders their concerns about pain killer use in professional sport - including one former rugby international who says he developed serious long-term health problems as a result.

And with evidence that even paracetamol can have a performance enhancing effect, how can sports regulators control substances that can give a competitive advantage but are widely available over the counter?

With tales of athletes receiving pain relief in order to compete with broken toes or even a fractured bone in their back, we explore the lengths some may go to in order to stay in the game and ask if some sports are risking long-term harm by chasing short-term goals.

Producer: Alys HarteReporter: Beth McLeod.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19880126]

(Details tomorrow at 4. 05pm)

Genome: [r4 Bd=19880127]

Is revolution stirring in the Occupied Territories?

Hugh Prysor-Jones reports on the extent of the challenge to Israel's authority.

A new series of the programme that covers major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910130]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910212]

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer Clare Hastings

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Producer: Clare Hastings

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910213]

Reporter Roisin McAuley.

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910219]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Helen Boaden. Producer Liz Camey

Contributors

Reporter: Helen Boaden.

Producer: Liz Camey

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910220]

Reporter Helen Boaden.

Contributors

Reporter: Helen Boaden.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910226]

Only six years after the last great famine, over seven-and-a-half million

Sudanese are at risk of starvation. Is the Sudanese government as much to blame as poor harvests? Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910227]

Reporter Stuart Simon.

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910305]

When Nelson Mandela was freed a year ago, he called upon the black youth to reject the slogan 'Liberation Now -

Education Later'. How have they responded?

Mandla Themba reports from Soweto on the prospects for peaceful change among a generation reared on militancy and violence. Producer John Drury

Contributors

Unknown: Nelson Mandela

Unknown: Mandla Themba

Producer: John Drury

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910306]

Mandia Thema reports from Soweto on the prospects for peaceful change among a generation reared on militancy and violence.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910312]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910313]

Reporter Roisin McAuley

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910319]

A focus on major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter

Helen Boaden.

Producer Clare Hastings

Contributors

Unknown: Helen Boaden.

Producer: Clare Hastings

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910320]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910326]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Dorothy Allen. Producer Liz Carney

Contributors

Reporter: Dorothy Allen.

Producer: Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910327]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910402]

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910403]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910409]

Reporter Robin Lustig. Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Reporter: Robin Lustig.

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910410]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910416]

Reporter Gerry Northam. Producer Clare Hastings

Contributors

Reporter: Gerry Northam.

Producer: Clare Hastings

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910417]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910423]

Major issues and events at home and abroad.

Producer David Ross

Contributors

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910424]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910521]

The return of the documentary series. The 'men in the middle' who really matter in modern soccer are not referees but agents.

Stuart Simon reports on how they bend the rules in fixing lucrative transfers and contracts.

Producer Andrew Smith

Contributors

Unknown: Stuart Simon

Producer: Andrew Smith

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910522]

In the first of a new series, Stuart Simon reports on how soccer agents bend the rules.

Contributors

Unknown: Stuart Simon

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910528]

Why is South America facing a cholera epidemic for the first time this century? Roisin McAuley reports from Peru. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Unknown: Roisin McAuley

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910529]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910604]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Paul Barker. Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Reporter: Paul Barker.

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910605]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910611]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Louise Hibbins

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Producer: Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910612]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910618]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910619]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley.

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910625]

Can the peace process in Lebanon point the way through deadlock in the Middle East? Gerald Butt reports from Beirut. Producer Liz Carney

Contributors

Unknown: Gerald Butt

Producer: Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910626]

Can the peace process in Lebanon point the way through deadlock in the Middle East? Gerald Butt reports from Beirut.

Contributors

Unknown: Gerald Butt

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910702]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Susan O'Keeffe. Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Reporter: Susan O'Keeffe.

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910703]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Susan O'Keeffe.

Contributors

Reporter: Susan O'Keeffe.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910709]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer Louise Hibbins

Contributors

Reporter: Roisin McAuley.

Producer: Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910710]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910716]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Tony Baker. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Reporter: Tony Baker.

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910717]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910730]

Recent revelations suggest that Iraq has long been cheating on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Has the treaty any value? And if it collapses, will there be nuclear anarchy? Reporter Stuart Simon. Producers Liz Carney and Olwyn Hocking

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Producers: Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910731]

Recent revelations suggest that Iraq has long been cheating on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Has the treaty any value? And if it collapses, will there be nuclear anarchy? Reporter Stuart Simon.

Contributors

Reporter: Stuart Simon.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910806]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter David Levy. Producer Louise Hibbins

Contributors

Reporter: David Levy.

Producer: Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19910807]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911015]

Trial and Error

This special documentary is the first in a new series of the programme.

Contributors

President Bush has warned Israel to stop expandingjewish settlements in the Occupied Territories.

Stuart Simon traces the complex and controversial means by which the Israeli Government may have quietly sabotaged a land-for-peace deal. Producer David Ross

Contributors

Unknown: Stuart Simon

Producer: David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911023]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911029]

As the USA and Holland accept a patient's right to die, Roger Harrabin asks whether it is time for

Britain to change the laws on euthanasia.

Producer Liz Carney

Contributors

Unknown: Roger Harrabin

Producer: Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911030]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911105]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Robin Lustig. Producer Louise Hibbins

Contributors

Reporter: Robin Lustig.

Producer: Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911106]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911112]

Two-and-a-half years after the Red Army left

Afghanistan, the chances of a political settlement there have never looked better. Will the fighting now stop and enable five million refugees to return home? Hugo Fay reports from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Producer Lynne Jones

Contributors

Unknown: Hugo Fay

Producer: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911113]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911120]

(Broadcastyesterday 7.20pm)

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911126]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Liz Carney

Contributors

Reporter: Mark Halliley.

Producer: Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911127]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911203]

Ashes of Empire The first of three programmes in which Gordon Clough reports from the Soviet Union. Can a new, cohesive confederation arise from the ashes of the old empire? Red Flag, Green Banners From the northern and southern outposts of the old Union, how strong are the forces of separation and the Islamic challenges to Soviet and Russian domination?

Producers Lucy Ash and Lynne Jones

Contributors

Unknown: Gordon Clough

Producers: Lucy Ash

Producers: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911204]

Ashes of Empire

A three-part series in which Gordon Clough reports from the Soviet Union.

1: Red Flag, Green Banners

Contributors

Unknown: Gordon Clough

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911210]

Ashes of Empire

A three-part series in which Gordon Clough reports from the Soviet Union. 2: Goinglt Alone

Will the separation now demanded by the Ukraine and other republics plunge the old Union into greater poverty and chaos?

Producers Lucy Ash and Lynne Jones

Contributors

Unknown: Gordon Clough

Unknown: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911211]

Ashes of Empire A three-part series. 2: Coing lt Alone

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911217]

Ashes of Empire

The last of a three-part series in which

Gordon Clough reports from the Soviet Union. Can a new, cohesive confederation arise from the ashes of the old empire?

The 16th Republic

As the 15 former Soviet

Republics set about establishing their own armed forces, what role is left for the rump of the Soviet Army? Can there be effective control of the huge Soviet nuclear arsenal? And could the proliferation of firepower lead to a Soviet Yugoslavia? Producers Lucy Ash and Lynne Jones

Contributors

Unknown: Gordon Clough

Producers: Lucy Ash

Producers: Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19911218]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920114]

NEW The return of the series exploring major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920115]

(Broadcastyesterdayat

7.20pm FM)

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920121]

Why are a growing number of diagnosed psychopaths who have committed serious offences being refused treatment in Britain' s top security hospitals? And does this refusal put society at risk? Reporter Mark Ha))i)ey. Producer Dav!dRoss

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Robin Lustig. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920205]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920211]

Reporter Adam Raphael. Producer Louise Hibbins

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920212]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920219]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920225]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920226]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920303]

An inquest may be the only time a bereaved family learns the full facts of a controversial death. But are coroners' courts equipped to cope with such investigations? Reporter Caroline Beck. Producer Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920304]

An inquest may be the only time a bereaved family learns the full facts of a controversial death.

But are coroners'courts equipped to cope with such investigations?

Reporter Caroline Beck.

(Broadcastyesterday 7.20pm FM)

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920310]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920311]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920317]

Adam Raphael reports on major issues, changing attitudes, and important events at home and abroad. Producer Vicky Whitfield

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920318]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920922]

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920923]

(Broadcast yesterday at 7.20pmJ

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920929]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Wend y Jones. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19920930]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921006]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921007]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921013]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Gerry Northam. Producer Mark Weston-Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921014]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921020]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921021]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921027]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Wendy Jones. Producer Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921028]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921103]

Reporter Caroline Beck. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921104]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921110]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Mark Weston-Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921111]

Reporter Mark Halliley.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921117]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921118]

Reporter Wendy Jones.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921124]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Kati Whitaker. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921125]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921201]

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Mark Weston-Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921202]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921215]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921216]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19921222]

A militant mutation of Muslim fundamentalism is coursing through the Arab world. In the second of two special programmes,

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930127]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930202]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Wendy Jones. Producer Mark Weston-Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930203]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Wendy Jones.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930209]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930210]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930216]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930217]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930223]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Wendy Jones. Producer Mark Weston Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930224]

with Wendy Jones.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930302]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Jolyon Jenkins. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930303]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Jolyon Jenkins.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930309]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer Chris Harmer

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930310]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Roisin McAuley.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930316]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Mark Weston-Turner

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930317]

Reporter Stuart Simon.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930330]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Chris Harmer

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930331]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930406]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. The last programme of the present series.

Reporter Roisin McAuley. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930407]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930511]

The documentary series returns.

The Fear of Living Dangerously

The face of teenage crime is undergoing some alarming changes. In some areas the level of violence has reached a point where shootings and street-level extortion are routine. In the first of a new series, Brian Crawford investigates the young generation of violent lawbreakers, the disturbing development of a "gun culture", and the emergence of the female gangster. His report uncovers a hard core of disaffected youth who are armed, dangerous and at war with each other. Producer Paul Sapin

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930512]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930518]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter

Caroline Beck.

Producer Liz Carney

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930519]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930525]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930526]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930601]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930602]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930608]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Alex Kirby. Producer Helen Boaden

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930609]

Major issues, changing attitudes, and important events at home and abroad.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19930615]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jolyon Jenkins. Producer Amanda Ashton

The return of the series which investigates major issues and important events at home and abroad. The massive military campaign to wipe out Kurdish separatist rebels, gains for an Islamic party in recent local elections, and an economy in crisis, have left many Turks wondering about the future of their country. Jonathan Rugman reports from Istanbul and explores the implications for Europe of Turkey's domestic troubles.

Producer Liz Camey

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940517]

The programme which investigates major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Kim Barrington

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940521]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940524]

Reporter Ian Breach. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940528]

Reporter Ian Breach.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940531]

The programe which investigates major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Halliley. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940604]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940607]

Reporter Emily Buchanan. Producer Caroline Pare

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940611]

Is there an African solution to tribal conflict? Emily Buchanan reports from Uganda and Ethiopia.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940614]

Reporter Gerry Northam.

Producer Kim Bamngton

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940618]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940621]

A special investigation into the hidden world of the liquidators. Britain's 2,000 insolvency practitioners are charged with rescuing bankrupt companies, or disposing of their assets for the best possible price. But are they exploiting this powerful position for their own ends? Reporter Jolyon Jenkins.

Producer David Haggie

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940625]

Jolyon Jenkins reports on a special investigation into the hidden world of the liquidators.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940628]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940702]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940705]

Reporter Neal Dalgleish.

Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940709]

Reporter Neal Dalgleish. Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940712]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940716]

Reporter Jolyon Jenkins.

Producer Kim Barrington

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940719]

Magistrates in the south of England employed private bailiffs to collect fines. But the company went bust, and the court is now owed a quarter of a million pounds in fines collected but never received. Gerry Northam investigates what happens when public debt collection is privatised.

Producer Liz Camey

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940723]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940726]

Reporter Jenny Cuffe.

Producer David Haggie

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940730]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940802]

How far have the Palestinians been obliged by the terms of their peace agreement with Israel to swap military for economic occupation?

Mark Whitaker reports.

Producer David Ross

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940806]

How far have the Palestinians been obliged to swap military occupation for economic occupation? Reporter Mark Whitaker.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940809]

The last in the series investigating major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Terry Dignan reports. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940813]

Terry Dignan reports in the last of the investigative series.

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940920]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. With reporter Mark Halliley. Producer Liz Carney

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19940924]

Reporter Mark Halliley. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941001]

Local councils and private residents are using private security guards to keep crime at bay. Should the police fear an agenda of creeping privatisation? Gerry Northam reports. Producer Lynne Jones

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941004]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker.

Producer Kim Barrington. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941008]

with reporter Mark Whittaker. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941011]

Stuart Simon examines the Government's attempts to help the High Street. Is it too little, too late?

Producer David Haggle. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941015]

with reporter Stuart Simon. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941018]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Sharon Rowe

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941022]

Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941025]

Reporter Julian 0' Halloran. Producer Lynne Jones

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941029]

Repeated from Tuesday

Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941101]

Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Kim Barnngton

Repeatd Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941105]

Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941108]

Reporter Stuart Simon.

Producer David Lewis. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941112]

Reporter Stuart Simon. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941115]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Jenny Cuffe reports. producer David Haggle

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941119]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941122]

Reporter Jolyon Jenkins.

Producer David Ross. Rptd on Sat at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941126]

Reporter Jolyon Jenkins. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941129]

Reporter Mark Whitaker.

Producer Jill Simpson. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941203]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941206]

Reporter Stuart Simon. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941210]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19941213]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer David Lewis

Major issues at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Jan Frazer

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960316]

Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960319]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Julian O'Halloran. Producer Sharon Keatley

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960323]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960326]

With Britain's high-street shops and supermarkets increasingly filled with exotic fruit, flowers and vegetables grown in Third World countries, Jolyon Jenkins reports from Kenya on the human cost of this new trade. Producer David Haggle

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960330]

Jolyon Jenkins reports from Kenya. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960402]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Kim Barrington

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960518]

Reports on major issues. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960521]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Jim Hackett

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960525]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960528]

With reporter Julian O'Halloran.

Producer Kim Barrington. Rptd Sat 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960601]

Reports on major issues and events. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960604]

Reporter Richard Watson.

Producer Sharon Keatley. Rptd Sat 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960608]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960611]

Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Lynne Jones. Rptd Sat 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960615]

With Jonathan Rugman. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960618]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Wendy Robbins.

Producer David Lewis. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960622]

Wendy Robbins reports. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960625]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad.

Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Sally Chesworth

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960629]

With reporter Mark Whitaker. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960702]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Julian O'Halloran.

Producer Jim Hackett. Rptd Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960706]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960709]

Reporter Richard Watson.

Producer Mike Hind. Rptd Sat 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960713]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960716]

With Jonathan Rugman.

Producer Sharon Keatley. Rptd Sat 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960720]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960723]

Roisin McAuley reports on major issues at home and abroad. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960727]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960730]

Jenny Cuffe reports on major issues at home and abroad. Producer Sally Chesworth

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960803]

Jenny Cuffe reports on major issues. Repeated from Tuesday

THE DEEP

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960806]

Tim Rogers reports on major issues. Producer Jim Hackett

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960810]

Tim Rogers reports on major issues. Repeated from Tuesday THE DEEP

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960813]

In the last of the series, Julian O'Halloran reports on major issues. Producer Lynne Jones Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960817]

Last of the series with Julian O'Halloran.

Repeated from Tuesday

THE DEEP

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960917]

Mark Whitaker reports on major issues at home and abroad. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960921]

Mark Whitaker reports on major issues at home and abroad. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960924]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19960928]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961001]

Jonathan Rugman reports on major issues at home and abroad. Producer Sally Chesworth

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961005]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961008]

Roger Wilkes reports on major issues at home and abroad. Producer Liz Carney

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961012]

Roger Wilkes reports. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961015]

Reporter Lesley Curwen. Producer Lynne Jones

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961019]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961022]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961026]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961029]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961102]

Major issues, changing attitudes, and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961105]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Liz Carney. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961109]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961112]

Reporter Roger Wilkes. Producer Lynne Jones

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961116]

Reporter Roger Wilkes. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961119]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Julian O'Halloran. Producer Clare Pointon

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961123]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961126]

Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961130]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961203]

Major issues, changing attitudes, and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Sarah Lewthwaite

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961207]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961210]

Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday at 5.00pm

* Face behind the Voice: page 13

Genome: [r4 Bd=19961214]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970128]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. In the first programme of the new series, Julian O'Halloran examines the reasons for the rising number of E Coli cases. The Scottish food poisoning scare, which has cost 16 lives and made hundreds ill, is close to being the world's worst outbreak of its kind. But the incidents of E Coli have rocketed over the past ten years, leaving a trail of deaths and kidney-damaged children. Tonight's programme asks whether lives could have been saved if the government had imposed some basic food and health measures.

Producer Sarah Lewthwaite

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970201]

Presented by Julian O'Halloran. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970204]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970208]

Current affairs magazine. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970211]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Kim Barrington

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970215]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970218]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Gregor Stewart

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970222]

Major issues at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970225]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Julian O'Halloran. Producer Justin Rowlatt

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970301]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970304]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Last in the series.

Producer Sarah Lewthwaite Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970308]

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970408]

Last month a House of Commons

Committee criticised the Ministry of Defence's failure to provide full information on "Gulf War Syndrome". In the first of a new series of File on 4, Julian O'Halloran examines how much is now known about the causes of veterans' illnesses. Producer Gregor Stewart

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970415]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970422]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Justin Rowlatt

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970429]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jolyon Jenkins. Producer Sarah Lewthwaite

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970506]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday 5.00pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970510]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970513]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Gregor Stewart. Rptd Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970517]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970520]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Liz Carney. Producer Kim Barrington Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970524]

With reporter Liz Carney. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970527]

With Richard Watson.

Producer Justin Rowlatt

Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970531]

With Richard Watson.

Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970603]

With Mark Whitaker. Producer David Lewis

Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970607]

With Mark Whitaker. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970610]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jenny Cuffe. Producer Sarah Lewthwaite Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970614]

With Jenny Cuffe.

Producer Sarah Lewthwaite Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970617]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jonathan Rugman. Producer Gregor Stewart Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970621]

With Jonathan Rugman. Producer Gregor Rugman. Rptd from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970624]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Jolyon Jenkins. Producer Liz Carney

Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970628]

With Jolyon Jenkins.

Producer Liz Carney. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970701]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Mark Whitaker. Producer Kim Barrington Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970705]

With Mark Whitaker. Producer Kim Barrington Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970708]

With Justin Rowlatt.

Producer David Lewis. Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970712]

With Justin Rowlatt. Producer David Lewis. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970715]

Major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Reporter Julian O'Halloran. Producer Gregor Stewart Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970719]

With Julian O'Halloran.

Producer Gregor Stewart. Rptd from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970923]

The Labour government has committed itself to a "zero-tolerance" policy towards failing schools and inadequate teachers. Mark Whitaker asks what lessons Britain can learn from Chicago's public education system. Once deemed the worst in America, it is currently being revolutionised in the name of improved classroom performance. Producer Deborah Hawkes Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970927]

Mark Whitaker asks what lessons

Britain can learn from Chicago's public education system.

Repeated from yesterday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19970930]

Richard Watson reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Kim Barrington Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971004]

Richard Watson reports on major issues at home and abroad.

Producer Kim Barrington Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971007]

Liz Carney reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Andy Denwood Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971011]

Liz Camey reports on major issues and important events at home and abroad.

Producer Andy Denwood

Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971014]

Peter Hetherington reports on major issues at home and abroad.

Producer Gregor Stewart. Rptd Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971018]

Peter Hetherington reports on major issues at home and abroad.

Producer Gregor Stewart Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971021]

Mark Whittaker examines the record of the Environment Agency, which was created 18 months ago and integrated the work of the anti-pollution agencies for water, air and land. Producer Deborah Hawkes Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971025]

Mark Whitaker examines the record of the Environment Agency. Producer Deborah Hawkes

Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971028]

Lesley Curwen reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Kim Barrington Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971101]

Investigation into the work of the World Trade Organisation. With Lesley Curwen. Producer Kim Barrington. Rptd from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971104]

Richard Watson reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events both at home and abroad.

Producer Andy Denwood Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971108]

Richard Watson reports on major issues at home and abroad.

Producer Andy Denwood. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971111]

Liz Carney reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Christine Morgan Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971115]

Liz Carney reports on major issues at home and abroad.

Producer Christine Morgan Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971118]

The civil war in Sudan is the longest-running conflict in Africa and has claimed at least 1.5 million lives. As yet another attempt to broker a peace deal gets under way, Maurice Walsh assesses the chances for peace.

Producer David Lewis. Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971122]

The civil war in Sudan has claimed at least 1.5 million lives. Maurice Walsh assesses the chances for peace. Producer Christine Morgan Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971125]

Mark Whitaker reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Gregor Stewart Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971129]

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971202]

Lesley Curwen reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Deborah Hawkes Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971206]

Lesley Curwen reports on major issues at home and abroad. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971209]

Julian O'Halloran reports on major issues, changing attitudes and important events at home and abroad. Producer Christine Morgan Repeated Saturday 5pm

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971213]

Julian O'Halloran reports on major issues at home and abroad. Repeated from Tuesday

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971216]

Liz Carney reports on major issues; changing attitudes and important ' events at home and abroad. Producer Andy Denwood

Repeated Saturday 5pm ;

Genome: [r4 Bd=19971220]

Liz Carney reports on major issues at home and abroad. Repeated from Tuesday

Green Doubts Over Role For Coal *

20080610

20080615

Julian O'halloran reports on the calls for a new generation of coal-fired power stations by electricity generating companies.

The demands are fuelled by concern over energy security and rocketing gas prices, but opposition is widespread.

Julian O'Halloran reports on the calls for a new generation of coal-fired power stations by electricity generating companies. The demands are fuelled by concern over energy security and rocketing gas prices, but opposition is widespread.

Green On Blue

20120925

20120930

Why are growing numbers of allied soldiers being killed by their Afghan allies?

In the first of a new series, Gerry Northam investigates the rising number of so called "green on blue" attacks in which Afghan soldiers and policemen have turned their guns on British and other international troops.

With more than 50 NATO troops killed in insider attacks this year, is enough being done to protect those working as mentors?

The US has invested over $50 billion on developing independent Afghan security forces but according to a US Government audit, the majority of Afghan troops remain heavily reliant on American help and support. Even widespread illiteracy remains a problem.

Meanwhile the impact of the recent attacks is huge - undermining the trust that's needed between the Afghan forces and the coalition troops getting them ready to take over the security in 2014.

So how reliable is the screening of new Afghan recruits? And, with continuing questions over their loyalties and capabilities, can there be an effective withdrawal in two years' time?

Presenter: Gerry Northam

Producer: David Lewis.

Grooming: A Life Sentence?

20130611

20130616

In the latest high profile grooming trial, 7 men from Oxford will be sentenced later this month for sexually exploiting and raping 6 schoolgirls. Police said the girls - some as young as 12 - were 'abused to the point of torture' for years. One girl was injected with heroin. Another was forced to have a backstreet abortion.

The police praised the young women for finding the strength to give evidence against the gang and protect other girls.

But, after the legal process ends, what support is there for victims?

After a string of such abuse cases around the country, Jane Deith finds there are many young women who say they've been let down by the authorities and are struggling, alone, with mental health problems and difficulties with education and housing.

More victims of grooming are being rescued. But does being sexually exploited as a child mean a life sentence?

Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Gun Control: Europe's Flooded Market

20150324

20150329 (R4)

With Britain on heightened alert following Islamist shootings in Paris and Copenhagen, how well prepared are we to deal with a similar attack?

Allan Urry discovers how extremists in neighbouring European countries were able to get access to guns and hears concerns about the ready availability of illegal weapons from Eastern Europe and North Africa.

So what risk does that pose for the UK? Britain prides itself on tough gun control, but is that enough to prevent determined would-be terrorists getting access to firearms?

Reporter: Allan Urry Producer: Gail Champion.

Gun Crime

20031014

20031019

Major issues, changing attitudes, important events at home and abroad, with reporter Gerry Northam

H M Customs

20040316

20040321

Two years ago File on 4 revealed details of a police investigation into the way HM Customs had handled major drugs cases.

Now, Gerry Northam examines new claims of even more serious misconduct and asks whether this once-great agency can survive further scandals.

'high Way' To Hell

20160906

20160911 (R4)

: File on 4 investigates the lethal highs coming to the UK from China.

Earlier this year, the government introduced legislation banning the production, distribution, sale and supply of legal highs. Designed to stop what has been described as a tsunami of chemicals flooding into the UK, it has resulted in the closure of the high street shops which had been selling exotically named substances like Spice, Mamba and China White.

So why are they still finding their way onto the streets? File on 4 traces the supply back to labs in China and discovers a myriad of psychoactive substances are still only a few internet clicks away. Prior to the ban, the authorities were aware of the risk that internet sales could take over from the high street and that China is fast becoming the 'chemical and pharmaceutical wholesaler to the world'.

So is the new legislation really the answer, and if not, what options remain to disrupt the now illegal supply of these lethal substances?

Reporter: Danny Vincent

Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Highways Agency

20121120

20121125

With the CBI calling for it to be scrapped, Allan Urry examines the Highways Agency.

Fed up with road works? Stuck in a queue of traffic? The Government is promising big improvements for drivers who use motorways and major roads. It's looking for ways to increase private sector involvement and to boost investment. So what future for the body that currently manages the network in England? With the CBI calling for it to be scrapped, and with criticism from local authorities and motoring organisations, Allan Urry road asks whether it's the end of the road for the Highways Agency?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Homes But No Loans

20110125

20110130

Despite the threat of a new slide in house prices and rising levels of negative equity, the number of property-buyers having their homes repossessed has declined over the past year. But now many economists predict interest rates will rise in the course of 2011, fuelling fears that Britain's housing market could be facing a double dip. With banks chasing profits and affordable mortgages harder to find. Michael Robinson asks what impact the new housing freeze will have on Britain's already battered economy.

Producer: Andy Denwood.

How will the mortgage freeze hit Britain's already battered economy?

Despite the threat of a new slide in house prices and rising levels of negative equity, the number of property-buyers having their homes repossessed has declined over the past year.

But now many economists predict interest rates will rise in the course of 2011, fuelling fears that Britain's housing market could be facing a double dip.

With banks chasing profits and affordable mortgages harder to find.

Michael Robinson asks what impact the new housing freeze will have on Britain's already battered economy.

Homes Not Hospitals

20160913

20160918 (R4)

Has care for people with learning disabilities improved since Winterbourne View?

Five years after shocking revelations about the abuse of patients at Winterbourne View, File on 4 asks what progress has been made on the promise to get people with learning disabilities and autism out of hospital units and into homes in the community with good support.

Families of those still stuck in these units say patients are trapped in the system with no clear plan or apparent will to get them home. For those eventually discharged, almost as many others are admitted - parents say, because there aren't enough community support services.

But if people are let out by the institutions, what's does so-called 'supported living' in the community look like? File on 4 hears concerns about the quantity and quality of this promised care. Parents describe living on the brink of a crisis that could land their children back in a cycle of being sectioned and locked up.

NHS England says the plans are taking shape. But families say it's like living in The Twilight Zone, in a limbo hidden from mainstream view and unable to find a way out.

So just how successful is the landmark 'Homes not Hospitals' plan, that aims to improve life for some of the most vulnerable patients in the NHS?

Reporter: Jane Deith

Producer: Sally Chesworth

Editor: Gail Champion.

Hospitals - Open All Hours?

20130122

20130127

The government and senior medical figures want consultants to be more hands on in hospitals at weekends and at night. It follows evidence patients are less likely to receive prompt treatment and more likely to die if they are admitted to hospital on a Saturday or Sunday. A recent survey of hospital chief executives showed they had significant doubts their hospitals were as safe at weekends as during the week.

Jane Deith examines cases which raise concerns about out of hours care in hospitals. Is there enough senior medical support for junior doctors and how effective is the on-call system where consultants are available to give advice over the phone from home?

While departments such as accident and emergency, intensive care and obstetrics, already have consultants working in hospitals during the weekend, some medical colleges believe the time has come for 24 hour, seven days a week consultant cover on the wards. Jane visits hospitals trying to achieve this and hears the challenges they face.

The programme also investigates what this increased consultant presence might cost the NHS and whether there will be enough senior doctors available to make it happen. The College of Emergency Medicine, for example, says accident and emergency departments are facing a recruitment crisis and it does not expect to see the required number of consultants until 2030.

Producer: Paul Grant.

Housing Blight?

20150609

20150614 (R4)

With the urgent need for more housing, Britain's planning laws are under pressure like never before. Greenbelt land and even sites designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are being earmarked for development. So how far can we protect the countryside when the need for houses is so acute? Allan Urry reveals new figures on scale of the problem and investigates claims that the planning system is being stretched to breaking point.

Reporter: Allan Urry

Producer: Emma Forde.

How can we build more houses and still protect our countryside? Allan Urry investigates.

How Safe Is Your Pension?

20161011

20161016 (R4)

Following the BHS scandal, Allan Urry investigates other cases in which employees claim they've lost out because companies have ditched their full pension fund commitments.

It's the job of the Pensions Regulator to ensure employers follow the rules and to protect the benefits of those who've been paying in. So how good are they at keeping your pension safe?

The programme untangles the complex financial engineering that goes on as some foreign investors try to wash their hands of any on-going obligations to their UK workforce.

And one former director whose actions cost a pension fund millions of pounds is confronted at his home.

Producer: Paul Grant

Reporter: Allan Urry.

As the scandal over the collapse of BHS rumbles on, how safe is your pension?

How To Close Guantanamo?

20071113

20071118

Jon Manel looks at the potential problems in closing the US's controversial detention facility and investigates claims that the US is already breaking international law by sending detainees to countries where thay may face abuse and torture.

How to Close Guantanamo?

Hs2: Winners And Losers

20131008

20131013

Who are the winners and losers from high-speed rail?

The government is stepping up its support for HS2, the high-speed rail project due to link London and Birmingham by 2026 with extensions to Manchester and Leeds by 2032.

The cost is officially estimated to be £42.6bn and could rise to more than £51bn if, as expected, the scheme incurs VAT. Opponents foresee further increases and have predicted an eventual bill of £80bn for taxpayers.

Who stands to gain from the project and who will be the losers?

The government has published detailed maps of the route to be taken by the first stage, leading to calamitous falls in the value of many nearby properties.

Towns and cities which are near the route but not linked to HS2 fear that their economies will suffer as businesses are attracted to Birmingham and the northern ends of the line. Current fast train services are due to suffer drastic cuts in the wake of HS2 and some major development plans are now deemed to be at risk.

Meanwhile, economic advisers in the three major cities are planning for billions of pounds worth of benefits as travel-times and congestion on the existing network are reduced.

Gerry Northam reports from areas which expect to benefit from HS2 and those which could lose out and asks what lessons can be learned from the impact of Britain's first high-speed rail project - HS1 in Kent.

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane

Editor: David Ross.

Illicit Arms Trade

20130115

20130120

The recent conviction of an arms broker from Yorkshire has raised serious concerns about the murky world of the international weapons trade. Gary Hyde was sentenced to seven years imprisonment for one of the largest illegal arms deals ever uncovered: 80,000 guns and 32 million rounds of ammunition shipped from China to Nigeria - enough to equip a small army. But no-one knows where they ended up. Britain has strict regulations governing the sale and export of firearms, so how did he manage it? Where have the guns gone?

File on 4 investigates the British arms dealers brokering weapons for some of the world's most dangerous regimes. Some have done work for the Ministry of Defence. One was even a firearms advisor to the Home Office. Allan Urry asks what this means for the UK's licensing and arms export regimes, claimed to be among the best in the world.

Producer: Gail Champion.

In The Shadows

20150922

20150927 (R4)

With the Government cracking down on migrants working illegally, Simon Cox investigates Britain's shadow economy. He meets illegal workers to ask whether the get-tough message is putting them off. And he reveals the ways in which both employers and workers are getting round the law. So can the UK Border Force deliver on ministers' promises to make the UK an "unattractive" place for those who want to work illegally?

Reporter: Simon Cox Producer: David Lewis.

Simon Cox meets migrants working in Britain illegally.

Inside The Abattoir

20140617

20140622

The recent furore over halal meat has focused attention on how our meat is killed and processed.

But beyond the ethical and religious debate over halal, are there bigger concerns about how abattoirs are regulated and policed?

Companies have been fined for failing to remove body parts associated with the human form of mad cow disease, BSE.

Now there are plans to shake-up the inspection process which critics say this could lead to more infected animals entering the food chain.

There are also claims that vets based in abattoirs to monitor animal welfare - and inspectors who check meat we eat is safe - regularly face threats and intimidation.

Do Insolvency Practitioners measure up to the high standards expected of them when they are called in to a stricken business? Allan Urry examines concerns that some IP's don't always act in the best interests of creditors who are owed money when companies fail.

Are landlords right to complain they've been getting a raw deal because some corporate undertakers side too much with their retail paymasters, who are pushing for reduced rents because their businesses are in trouble.

The Office of Fair Trading is calling for far reaching reforms amid concerns about high fees and low recovery rates for some creditors.

So is there proper oversight of a profession which takes a billion pounds in fees each year, but isn't subjected to much public scrutiny?

PRODUCER: Paul Grant.

Allan Urry investigates concerns about the role of insolvency practitioners.

Insurance And Child Abuse

20150224

20150301 (R4)

With a growing number of compensation claims arising from cases of historic sexual abuse and more recent high profile cases of sexual grooming, Tim Whewell investigates the key role which insurance companies play. In representing the local authorities where scandals occurred, insurers naturally seek to limit liability but are they doing so at a cost to victims? Lawyers say they have to battle to get access to files and other information - causing further distress and delaying help for those damaged by abuse. Some say the fight is getting harder as insurance companies have toughened their approach in recent years. And, with a national inquiry into historic cases of child sex abuse, how much influence did insurance companies have on the way some past investigations were carried out? File on 4 talks to senior local authority insiders who say they were told to alter their approach to abuse investigations to protect the insurers' interests. But was that at the expense of children at risk?

Reporter: Tim Whewell Producer: Sally Chesworth.

Intensive Care

20040224

20040229

With doctors and the Government at loggerheads over claims of a crisis in NHS intensive care, Matthew Hill asks why, despite extra funding, some patients are still being put at risk.

Iranian Sanctions

20120214

20120219

With the EU poised to ban oil imports from Iran, Allan Urry assesses the impact of international sanctions on Britain and Europe.

Designed to curb Iran's nuclear programme, the oil embargo could further push up the cost of fuel.

Iranian companies are involved in a number of joint ventures that bring energy into European homes and factories: File on 4 examines what will happen to these vital projects as the new round of trade restrictions begins to bite.

And British companies that trade legitimately with Iran are already finding it harder to do business. They warn that it could lead to job losses.

How will the sanctions affect Europe at a time when many economies are in recession or are just stagnating?

And how effective are the new restrictions likely to be given Iran's experience of finding ways around international controls on what it can buy and sell.

Producer: David Lewis.

How will a European ban on Iranian oil affect Britain during a period of economic gloom?

Iranian Sanctions

20120219

How will a European ban on Iranian oil affect Britain during a period of economic gloom?

Iran's Nuclear Standoff

20130528

20130602

There's mounting concern over the Iranian nuclear programme. Is Tehran is simply playing cat and mouse with the international community and buying time until it is ready to develop a nuclear weapon? Evidence is emerging that Iran is co-operating with North Korea, a country which has already developed its own weapon.

The latest report from the UN's international watchdog, the IAEA, is due out next month - but has the IAEA been strong enough in its dealings with Tehran and Pyongyang?

Reporter Rob Broomby charts the history of concealment of Iran's nuclear activities and its refusal to abandon the most controversial parts of its programme, despite numerous UN Security Council resolutions and a raft of sanctions. In a detailed interview with File on 4, Iran's ambassador dealing with nuclear matters, Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, denies his country is a "serial offender". But can protestations of innocence be taken seriously when Iran still refuses inspectors access to key sites and documents?

The programme also examines the role of the IAEA in dealing with Iran and hears from former nuclear inspectors, ex-Whitehouse officials, diplomats and experts. Is the Agency up to the job of preventing states from acquiring the bomb?

Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.

Islamic State: Looting For Terror

20150217

20150222 (R4)

Satellite images reveal the extent to which sites of important historical interest have been looted in Syria. Some of these are in areas controlled by Islamic State where looters are believed to pay a tax to allow them to operate. Iraqi military say evidence from a senior IS mem